Motherhood Should Come With....

Today, I am linking up at Gypsy Mama's for Five Minute Friday.
This is where we throw caution (editing, revising, and worrying) to the winds and just write. Without wondering if it’s just right or not.

For five minutes flat. The rules are easy.

1. Write your heart out for five minutes and show us what you’ve got.
2. Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.
3. And most importantly, go visit, read, and encourage the fellow five-minuter who linked up right before you.

 

 

Today, the prompt is: Motherhood should come with.....

 

Go

 

Motherhood should come with fairy wings that open wide and get you everywhere you are supposed to be, on time and not a minute late.  The wings should be big enough to wrap a cold child in, and soft enough to wipe away tears and heal skinned knees and scraped elbows. 

The wings should come complete, with extra time in every day (when you twist a feather) so that you can get everything that needs doing accomplished and put away. 

Motherhood should come with a maid to do all the extra dishes and dirty laundry that seems to keep turning up even after you just finished the last load. 

Motherhood should come with extra arms to hold all that needs holding, extra words to say just the right thing in every situation, and an inate ability to know exactly what you should do to help your child in any situation.  

Motherhood should come with unending and unconditional love. 

A mother my not be able to do everything, but the one thing she can do is simply to love, no matter what.   A mother only holds a child for a short time, but she holds on to their hearts forever, just as they hold on to her's.

 

Stop

 

Now it is your turn. 

 

 

{Pretty please turn off word verification for the day to make this easier!}

Courage - A Tribute to my Mom

Today I am participating for over at Mama Kat's for the Writers Workshop.  The rules are easy.
Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add your name to the link list Here.

The Prompts:

1.) A memorable high school job.
2.) That time you ran away from home.
3.) A boy you had a crush on…where is he now?
4.) Ode to your mother…write about a special memory you have of your mom in honor of Mother’s Day.
5.) 10 reasons why you could not be a real housewife from any county

I chose to write about my Mother in honor of Mother's Day.  
My mother taught me more about courage than any other woman in my life.  When I was very young, my mother was divorced and taking care of three kids by herself.  This was during a time when most women were married and stay at home moms.  She worked nights to try and take care of our needs.  As a mother myself now, I know how difficult that must have been for her.  
When I was 19, she was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain and given less than two years to live.  She had brain surgery and radiation treatments and the cancer went into remission.  The radiation damaged the hair follicles and she was bald for the rest of her life.  
When I was 24, she was in an accident that crushed her skull down onto her brain and nearly amputated her leg.  Because the accident happened during the hot months, she also received 3rd degree burns on her arms and legs.  She spent over 12 hours in surgery trying to repair the damage.  She was in Intensive Care for six weeks and finally ended up losing the leg that they had worked so hard to save.  She spent nine months in the hospital for rehabilitation and surgeries to do skin grafts over the burned areas.  
When she finally got out of the hospital, she became fiercely independent and insisted on doing everything that she could for herself.  She bought a scooter chair that she used to get herself around town.  She moved to an apartment that was close to stores and she pretty much did everything for herself.  
It was not uncommon for her to take herself most places.  She either took her scooter or a taxi, and though she did not drive, she was never trapped in one place.  She would call on me to take her places her chair could not get her and we would take the car and drive to the mall or Mervyn's.  
She did not like to be around large crowds of people.  They had a habit of running into her when she was on crutches or in a wheel chair.  I learned to take her places when they weren't busy.  She would go shopping in the off seasons and not on the weekends.    
My older children remember going to her house and riding around the apartments on her chair with her and her dog.  My mother had many difficulties throughout the rest of her life.  Her brain was never quite the same and she had seizures from time to time (even with the medication) due to the injuries.   
She lived 20 years after her cancer was diagnosed and finally died of complications for her tumor.  My last baby was six weeks old when my mother passed away.  
I am grateful to her for the example of persevering that she taught me.  I think, if I have been strong or brave in my life, it is largely because I learned from her how to be that way.  I am not sure if I would  have the courage to keep going in the face of the kind of adversity that she had to face.  
She also taught me that you can't judge a person by what you see on the outside.  You have to get to know them, and even then, there are things that you will probably never find out.  We each have our own trials.  Some are obvious like my Mother's leg, but some are hidden deep inside our hearts.  We all hurt, we all cry, we all struggle with our own problems and adversities.  I have learned that we can't take any moment for granted.  No one knows what their time here will be.  All we can do is to do the best we can at any given moment.  Some of the most important work we ever do will be lifting one another's burdens and helping them on their way.  So today, I am taking a moment to pause, reflect and remember.  My mother made a difference.  

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"
~Mary Anne Radmacher

Wordless Wednesday- Little Orphans

He Fills the Silence

The city is full of noises.  There are cars honking, people with raised voices, crashing, footsteps, clocks, radios, television, sirens, tires screeching, planes taking off and landing.  All around the neighborhoods in the city, there is some kind of noise.
When I used to live there, we lived on a street that (once upon a time) used to be out of the way, but shortly after we moved there, the city resurfaced the street and it became a busy avenue, full of sound and traffic.  We also lived along the corridor that the airplanes flew over every day.  The walls of the house could not keep the sounds out.  For a long time, I had difficulty sleeping or resting because of the noise.  But, eventually, the everyday noises faded into the background of my mind.  It became something that I didn't even listen to anymore.  I learned to adapt to my environment and learned to sleep and work and live, in spite of it.  After a while, I didn't even notice.  The drone of noise was a constant in my life.
It wasn't until I moved to the mountains that I realized how much I crave, how much I need silence.  I hear the trees whisper in the wind.  I hear the birds sing, the mountain streams bubble, and even occasionally, the elk call.
In the busy life I live, I have discovered that I fill my minutes, hours and days with noise.  Some of them are soft, some are loud, but all are distractions.  It is in the silence of the quiet moments that I come to know that I am never really alone.  It is in the moments free of the distraction of noise and busyness that I realize I am loved and known.
In the silence, I feel my Heavenly Father's love all around me.
I hear the whisper of His breath upon the wind.
I feel the warmth of His touch as the sun kisses my cheeks.
In the noise of life, I sometimes forget to listen to the silence of His love.   
God is not in the loud noises.
He fills the silence.

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before theLord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12

Who is Welcomed Here?

A while back, someone in the choir collapsed on the floor by the door.  I rushed over to her and spent some time finding out what was wrong, helping her up, taking her somewhere quiet to sit, getting her something to eat and water to drink.  I kept checking on her for nearly an hour, until she started to feel better and finally, after I made her drink three bottles of water and eat a granola bar, let her go home.  
It never would have entered my mind not to help her.  She was sick, she needed someone to do for her what she could not do for herself.  I did not waste any time, and neither did three other people who rushed to her side and quickly helped.  I can't even imagine anyone blaming her because she was sick.  I can't imagine anyone thinking it was her fault, or accusing her by saying that she just wanted attention.
So, I am wondering tonight why we can't all have the same compassion for all of the people we meet.  Why can't  we give the homeless person money for food without wondering if he is going to use it to buy his current drug of choice?  Why can't we help someone we don't know without criticism or doubt?  There are so many choices we make today because of things that "might" happen.
I can't help thinking that Jesus didn't ask, if the person who needed His help, was good or bad.  He didn't ask if they made bad choices.  He just healed them.  He made the lame man walk, the blind man see, and even made the dead to live again.  He did all those mighty miracles without asking who was closest to perfect, or who had repented for all their sins.  He didn't ask who was worthy, or who held the highest religious office.  He did those things for those people who needed those miracles.
So, today my question is simply, who needs Him most?  Are there those among us who are hurting, who are crying, who are different, who are sick or afflicted?  Are there those among us who aren't quite like we are?  Do we shun them?  Do we ignore them, or shut them out?
I have an older daughter, who has made different decisions in her life than I have.  When she was a youth, the Young Woman's president came to me and told me that my daughter was no longer welcome in their class.  She was not welcome at their activities.  She was not welcome anywhere.  Now, I would be the first person to know how difficult that child could be, but I also know that she needed those girls in her life.  When they did not want her, she went and found other kinds of friends.  People who were more willing to accept her.  I think it is important to note that she did not ask to leave her classes until after she knew that they had, for all intents and purposes, "kicked" her out.
Somehow, I don't think that Christ would have left my daughter alone.  I can't imagine Him refusing to comfort her and heal her.  I can't believe for a moment that He could not look past her difficulties and find the child that I love.
That is the message today.  Underneath every single one of us, is a child to love.  Within each son or daughter is a spark of Godhood.  That little wonderful light that leads us surely home.  If I know that God can love the people who are different in whatever way, than I also need to love them.  Maybe they are angry, or mean, or rude.  Maybe they make bad choices, maybe the hurt people.  Maybe they are sick or afflicted, maybe they have an illness that I don't understand.  Whatever is wrong, it isn't up to me to decide.  I don't know the whole story.  I only see the part of their life that they permit me to see.  I don't have to worry about the judgement or the mercy they will be given.  I can love them, and let Heavenly Father be the judge.  He, and He alone knows the content of their hearts.
And just so you know, my daughter has grown to be an amazing young woman and mother in her own right.  She doesn't do things the same as me, but she is one of the most loving, giving and caring people that I know.  She means the world to me and I am so proud of her accomplishments, and I still love her so very, very much.

If I knew I could

This week, I am linking up again at The Gypsy Mama for a fresh dose of five minute Friday.  I am loving this challenge.  It gives me an entirely new perspective on writing. 

On Fridays, we throw caution (editing, revising, and worrying) to the winds and just write. Without wondering if it’s just right or not.

For five minutes flat. You’re welcome to play along. The rules are easy.
Write your heart out for five minutes and show us what you’ve got.
Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.

And most importantly, go visit, read, and encourage the fellow five-minuter who linked up right before you.{Pretty please turn off word verification for the day to make this easier!}

The prompt this week is:  If I knew I could......

Go

If I knew I could.....
go back and change anything in my life,
I would spend more time smiling
and less time worrying.
I would spend more time in anticipation
and less time wanting to hurry.
I would spend more time snuggling my little ones,
and less time getting mad over silly little things.
I would spend more time reading to them,
playing with them, and loving them,
and less time resenting the frustrating everyday moments
that seem to happen when you least expect it.
I would spend more time enjoy the stage they are currently in
and less time waiting for them to be somewhere else.
If I knew I could....
I would spend more time being the person that I have always wanted to be,
and less time trying to be the person that others expected me to be.
I would write, I would paint, I would laugh at myself, I would love life.
I would spend so much more time being grateful for the things I do have,
and not so much time wishing for the things I don't have.
I would share my faith more with others,
I would accept them just as they are,
I would love them more,
and not get angry over the things that don't matter at all.
If I knew I could....
I would choose to be more Christ-like in everything I do.
I would share those things that I love the most.
I would cherish every moment.
I would look for God in all the world around me.
I would be who He wants me to be.

Stop

Ok, now it is your turn.
What words of wisdom can you write in five short minutes?

The Most Embarassing Moment

Today, I am linking up at Mama Kat's for her writer's workshop.  And also over at Peanut Butter in my hair for the Bigger Picture Moment.  I hope to see you there!

The Prompts:
1.) Describe a time you spoke up for someone who couldn’t speak up for themselves.
2.) The Royal Wedding…ten gift ideas.
3.) What is going on in the bedroom? Describe a memorable sleeper.
4.) Photo Story: Take a walk through your neighborhood this week and share some pictures of what Spring looks like where you live.
5.) Something embarrassing that happened at school.

I chose to write about something embarrassing that happened at school. 

I lived in a time when girls wore skirts to school and there were many more rules involving good and bad behavior.  We had to be respectful.  Yes, maam and no sir were expected of us for all replies.  We were not allowed to yell at a teacher or to make any rude or unsightly gestures or comments.  The boys occasionally got in fistfights out back, (so did the girls, but it wasn't usually mentioned) and resolved their differences with a quick punch in the nose. 
Everyone participated in sports, whether you wanted to or not, and if you weren't any good, you were always chosen last.  It was not uncommon to have boys misbehave and receive a swat on their backsides from the paddle for there efforts.  Most of the teachers in Junior High School used that method.  If they did not, they were perfectly willing to send you to the principals office to receive your swat. 
I don't even remember a case of any parent disagreeing with the punishment in those days.  As a matter of fact, if you got swatted in school, most of the kids found themselves with more punishment when they got home.  It was a much different time to live.  Teachers were always right, and we were not allowed to argue with them. 
One day, in my seventh grade math class (which I loved) the teacher was working with the students at the blackboard. (yes, we were rather old, fashioned back then and used the old kind of chalk boards).  The kids around me were all goofing off and I was doing my math work.  I liked to get it done before I went home so that I would not have to do any homework. 
One of the boys next to me snickered and smashed his fist down on his desk.  The teacher turned around to glare at ME!  "Patty, get up here!  I looked up from my book in surprise to see him looking at my hand which was flat on the desk by my book.  I got up and went to the front of the room, still not understanding what was going on.  He made me bend over and grab my ankles, (in a dress I might add), brought out his paddle and gave me a swat on my behind! 
Now, understand that his paddle was made from a two by four and was solid wood with holes drilled in it.  Let me just say for the record that "sting" is not near enough to describe what that swat felt like.  With tears litterally springing to my eyes, I made my way back to my seat with all the giggling and snickering going on around me.  I was trying my best not to bawl like a baby.  My face was a brilliant red color and my eyes were glistening with unfallen tears. 
I heard about that swat for weeks!  It felt like literally everyone made fun of me.  I was one of the very few girls in that school to ever get the paddle, and probably one of the very few ones who really were completly innocent.
Probably the most embarrassing part was simply that everyone knew that the swat had made me cry, and they all called me a baby for the rest of the year. 

I have found that my own life has had a lot of moments like that.  Times when I am blamed for something I did not do, or something I did not really say.  Times when the people around me don't want to give me the benefit of the doubt.  We can be so quick to believe the worst of those around us, and so slow to forgive them their mistakes.  I have learned, things are rarely exactly as they appear.  There are always two sides to any accusation, and when people have something bad to share, most of them are more than willing to drag your name through the mud and talk about it. 
I have learned that life is not usually fair, and the sooner you can understand and deal with that, the happier you will be.  I have learned that for Every. Single. Trial.  There are an amazing amount of blessings, if we will just trust in Him and follow through. 
Life is not fair!  Every single one of us have heard this or said this or felt this at one time in our lives.  As a child, I remember my grandmother telling me (when I happened to be inconsiderate enough to blurt out how life wasn't fair), "Fair is the place you go when you want to see the pigs!"
I like to think about how it really isn’t fair that one person should should suffer for the sins of others.
It really isn’t fair that some people can commit horrible crimes and then be completely forgiven and cleansed without seeming to suffer for them. It really isn't fair when someone is sick and dies through no fault of their own.  It really isn't fair when a child is abused, or an adult has no family to care for them. 
No, the world sometimes isn't fair; the gospel sometimes isn’t fair, life sometimes isn't fair.  But that is the amazing thing about the Atonement.  It is not about being fair.  It is about mercy.  It is about love.  The love that our Savior has given each and every one of us.  I am so thankful for His mercy and love in my life.  I know that I need it, every single day, I need Him.

Wordless Wednesday (nearly) - Happy Birthday Josh!

Happy Birthday Josh.  I hope you always remember how much you are loved.  

Way Too Cute

I recently entered a contest on the website of  Just Be where I actually won a drawing and the prize was this fabulous skirt!  I didn't post about it sooner because it was a surprise Easter skirt for my youngest daughter.  I totally love it (and so does she).  It is so fun.  It has layers of twirls and was perfect for Easter morning.  I love the way the fabric is so different, yet blends together in a unique and fun way.  Suzi also makes purses and skirts in many sizes and shapes with different fabrics.  I wanted to thank her publicly for her amazing gift.  I am hoping that you check out her site too and find something you love as much as I do.  I will be shopping there again soon!

Sunday Devotional - Sunday Will Come

Today, I am enjoying Easter with my family.  I hope you are doing the same.  I loved the message.   We each have trials. We each have our own Fridays.  Now matter what we are enduring.  Sunday Will come.
Happy, happy Easter!

A Simple Moment - Lyla Ann

This Moment

A single photo – no words – 

 capturing a moment from our lives.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment 

I want to pause, savor and remember.

A moment 

that brings a smile to my lips, 

and joy to my heart.

Five Minute Friday - The Hard Love

I am participating today with The Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Friday.  This is a time for us to just write and not worry whether it is just right or not.  
Here is the way it is done:




1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing or tweaking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. That is all. Here are my few words for my own Five Minute Friday.

The Hard Love
by Patricia A Pitterle


My sweet baby, toddled forward
weaving to and fro
left and right
on two chubby unsteady legs.
She wobbled too far to one side,
and like a tree in the wind
toppled over.
I picked her up
kissed her tears away
and set her on her feet
to try again.
Love can seem so hard!
She did not understand
why I would not rescue her
from the trials of her world.
Her vision only saw 
the pain.  
The rewards to come
were hidden from her view.  


My sweet daughter
wondered out into 
the big, bright, beautiful world.
She skipped off to school
holding a backpack in one hand
and a lunch box in the other.
With a smile and a wave
she started her journey.
The bus brought her home
later that day.
With tears streaming down her face
and a sob in her voice, 
she told me about the children
who made fun of her 
that day.
The ones who would not understand
That is was OK not to be like the rest.
I hugged her tight
and kissed her tears away
and set her on her feet 
the next day
to try again.  
Love can seem so hard!

She did not understand

why I would not rescue her

from the trials of her world.

Her vision only saw 

the pain.  

The rewards to come

were hidden from her view. 

Often, 

I have discovered that 

I am like my sweet child

who only sees the world 

from her own point of view.

I want the pain of living

to go away.

I want the trials to end.

I want the heartache to cease.

I cry out to a loving Heavenly Father

who dries my tears 

and sets me on my feet

to try again another day.

Love can seem so Hard!

I do not always understand 

why He will not rescue me

from the trials of my world.

My vision only sees

the pain.

The rewards to come

are still hidden from my view.  

Home, At Last

Today, I am linking up for two prompts.  The first is over at Undercover Mother for the bigger picture moment.  The second is over at Mama Kat's for her weekly writing prompt. 

The Prompts are:

1.) Something students these days should know.

2.) If my Mom were a blogger.

3.) Describe a phone call you won’t forget.

4.) A list of 10 Celebrity DON’TS

5.) Write a poem about your favorite place to be.

I went with a poem about my favorite place and added a spitual twist on it.  I hope you like it. 

 

Home, At Last

by Patricia A Pitterle

The waves

Wash in with a whoosh

And break away

With a tug and a whisper

Of silk, against my skin.

Each and every time

I feel the

Push and pull

Of the sea,

My mind clears

And I breathe in

The sweet tang

Of the ocean breeze.

I taste the salt

On the air that surrounds me.

I see the blue-green hue

Of the tumbling water

And watch the clouds dance

Across the blue, blue sky.

The waves

Are cool upon

My bare legs

And the sand

Is gritty and shifting

Beneath my feet.

I stand there,

In awe of the world

That encircles me.

My mind clear of the fog

That constantly surrounds me.

I utter a quiet sigh,

And feel home, at last.

Life is much like

The ocean that I love

The waves of trials

And adversities whoosh in,

And then break away

With a tug and

A whisper of hope

They ebb and flow

In constant contact

As I make my way

Along the path

That leads back home.

I experience life

In all of it’s many moments;

Light and darkness,

Joy and sorrow,

Pleasure and pain,

Birth and death.

The sands of my trials

Shift and move

Beneath my feet,

Until I am not sure

Where adversity ends

And faith begins.

I stand in awe of heaven above

And the love of my Savior,

Who is the rock beneath my feet.

When my journey is over

And the sand is all swept away

I know I will find myself

Standing on the solid ground

Of His Eternal Love.

I will truly be home at last.

Wordless Wednesday - Science Can Be Fun

Living Water

Today, I am doing a post over at MMB
The Post is titled Living Water and is about the Savior.  I hope that you each take a few moments and go over there to visit and read. 
I will be back tomorrow with my favorite Wordless Wednesday!

Honesty- The Best Policy

"Honesty is more than not lying.  

It is truth telling, truth speaking, 

truth living, and truth loving."  

James E. Faust

Honesty, It should be the only policy.  This past Sunday, the lesson in Relief Society (the women's meeting) was on honesty.  It was a very good lesson.  It is one that has made me rethink my own stand.  You see, I have always believed in honesty.  Sometimes, I was naive enough to think that everyone else expected and admired that trait. Years later, and a life lived much longer has taught me how much the culture we live in does not admire or want honesty.  Think for a moment about the advertising that you see all around you.
The advertising world would have us believe that everyone worthwhile is skinny, or beautiful, or sexy, or single, or married, or childless, or wealthy.  And hopefully, if we really think about it, we will realize that all of those things are actually an endorsement of dishonesty.
If you are old like me, you will remember the days when cigarettes were advertised on TV.  When the man smoking them was always a rugged "man's type of man".  When he was a cowboy, rough, lean and totally physically fit.  The Marlboro man comes to mind.  Yet, they did not tell you in those long ago days, just what cigarettes could do to your body.  They did not tell you the risks, only the perceived benefits.  I am sure that is the way with many things today.  When you want to know about those things, you really have to ask yourself is, "do they care about me?  Or are they trying to sell a product or service?"  If you answer, yes, to the second question, take a longer and closer look at what you think you want in your life.
There is an old saying:  "A half truth is a whole lie."
In our lesson we talked about three ways of being dishonest.  The first was telling a lie,  the second was stealing, and the third was cheating.
Lying is intentionally deceiving others.  This can be with the spoken word as well as the unspoken silence.  We can intentionally deceive with a gesture or a look, by silence, or by only telling part of the truth.  Whenever we lead people to believe something that isn't true, we are guilty of dishonesty.
The scriptures teach us, "Thou shalt not steal."  Stealing is taking something that doesn't belong to us.  It can also be copying pictures, poetry, CD's, movies, or written words.  I found this one interesting because of all the stealing of photography that is going on over the internet right now.  I know photographers who have found their work on another's site, advertised as someone else's work.  It seems to be a big problem.  Taking words or thoughts that aren't yours and claiming that they are.
Cheating is also dishonest.  Cheating is more than when we get something we don't deserve.  Some people cheat their employers by not giving a full day's work for a full day's pay.  Maybe they extend their lunches, or take extra breaks, or check their email, or write on their blog.  Yet, those employees are more than happy to accept full pay for their less than stellar performance.   Some employers are not fair to their employees (hence, I have lots of extra work to do with grievances).
One of the things I found most interesting in all of this is that we must never excuse our dishonesty.  To the Lord, there are no acceptable reasons for being dishonest.  When we excuse ourselves, we cheat ourselves, and we become more and more unrighteous.
The promise is that if we work on becoming completely honest, we cannot be corrupted.  We are true to every trust, duty, promise, and agreement, even if it costs us money, status, friends, or our very lives.  By being honest, we know where we stand.  We know our own character.  We know what we have done, what we will do.  We know that we will have nothing to be afraid of.
We talked about being dishonest about our own feelings, our faults and our desires.  How many of us receive complements, that we worked really hard for, we deserve them, but we cannot take them.  We have to offer and excuse, we have to put ourselves down.  Part of honesty is accepting the good as well as the bad.  Part of honesty is being able to look at yourself, with all your faults and failings, and still know who you are and what you want to become.
The 13th Article of Faith states:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Today, let us all reflect and find a few more ways to improve our honesty with our fellow men (and with ourselves).  Remember just who the "father of lies" really is.  I don't know about you, but I want to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Once it was said among our people that a man's word was as good as his bond.  Shall any of us be less reliable, less honest than our forebears?"  Gordon B. Hinckley

Sunday Devotional - Easter Sunday

“In our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’”

“As one of His special witnesses on earth today, this glorious Easter Sunday, I declare that this is true, in His sacred name—even the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior—amen.”
—President Thomas S. Monson

A Simple Moment - Baby Steps

This Moment

A single photo – no words – 

 capturing a moment from our lives.

A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment 

I want to pause, savor and remember.

A moment 

that brings a smile to my lips, 

and joy to my heart.

On Distance - Five Minute Friday

Linking up this week for five minute Friday from The Gypsy Mama.  The rules are simple.  

Just write and not worry if it’s just right or not. Here’s how to play along:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 

3. Go leave some comment love for the five minute artist who linked up before you {and if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to say howdy}

It’s a great way to catch your breath at the end of a long week.

This weeks challenge is simply: On Distance

I am thirty three years away from the time I held my very first baby girl in my arms.  When I felt her heart beat next to mine.  I am so many years away from watching her first smile, her first step, her first laugh, and her first hug.  The one where she used to want to hold me instead of having me hold her.  I am so far away from the young mother that I used to be then.  From the days sat on the edge of a lake to the days spent in my new found mountain home.  I am 32 years away from  my first son who learned to run before he ever learned to walk.  I am miles away from the days when he would sit on the top of the fridge and throw eggs down on the floor for his dog to eat, then help himself to a Popsicle, before he climbed back done to the floor .
I am 31 years away from the little boy who always wanted to be like his big brother.  He was the one who climbed high up in a tree and couldn't get himself down.  He was the one who always had a kind heart and a tender soul.
I am 30 years away from the daughter that we called affectionately "Muppet". From the girl who cut her own hair short because she hated to have it long.  She cut it so short that the only way to save it was to cut it into a very short little pixie cut.  From the girl who always laughed and smiled and quietly played by herself when necessary.
I am 28 years away from the son who always got lost!  No matter where I took those children, that boy could disappear in the blink of an eye.  He was the one who always loved to be held and read to.  He was the one who didn't want to grow up too fast one moment, and in the next moment wanted to be big like the brothers.
I am 27 years from the daughter who was the baby for so very long.  The one who slept with me, snuggled with me, loved me through the hurt and pain that life brought.  The one who was so emotional and who always tried her best to be who she wanted to be.
So many things have happened in my life, and yet, no matter how far along the road I go, it is just a glimpse back to find the joys of yesterday.  For my love and joy is wrapped tightly in the arms of my family.So much distance has passed, and yet, it isn't very far at all.  It all seems like yesterday and I am left looking down the road of things passed and knowing that life is good.  

STOP

I am a crooked line

I am Linking up for two things today.  The first is for this poetry challenge at Danabugseyeview for the poetry bus.  There are no rules except that it has to start with this phrase:  I am a crooked line. 
The second is for the Bigger Picture Moments over at Alita's Place 
Spend a few moments visiting others as they also write.  I Hope you like it.

I Am A Crooked Line
by Patricia A Pitterle

I am a crooked line,
Wondering across the pages of life
To and fro,
From side to side.
I want to go from here to there
In a straight line,
But that does not seem possible
For me.
My way
Weaves along the light.
I can see the path;
It beckons me,
But when I try to walk it
Something always seems
To get in my way.
I wonder off into the wilderness
Of life
Until I see the light again.
I warms my heart
and beckons my soul.
Until, once again
I work myself
Back to the narrow way.
I am a crooked path
And that is OK
Because He knew that I would wonder,
He knew what I would be.
And yet,
He still loves me.
He straightens the path behind me,
And lights the way before.
Until, finially,
I see my path
Becoming not quite
As crooked as before.

We're seeing the Bigger Picture through simple moments -- moments that force us to stop and take notice of the ways our worlds are important, meaningful, and beautiful. Please join us today at Alita's place! Grab the button, link up and share your Bigger Picture with us!