Today is the LAST day of school! Hooray!
Oh my . . . this day is always such a relief to the kids (and me) after months of homework, exams, activities, etc. etc. etc. We are all looking forward to slowing down a bit and having the constant nag of schoolwork off our backs. School is intense these days. With two high schoolers and a middle schooler, I understand that they have a lot on their plates and a lot of pressure and deadlines to face everyday. I'm so happy for this day and that they get to breathe a sigh of relief for a job well done.
Last week when studying for final exams had just began, Anna's sweet Beehive leader left this adorable survival kit on our front step.
You should have seen the look on Anna's face! Pure happiness!! She kept saying, "this is adorable!" over and over again.
For the past 6 months (and for 6 more months) Anna is the only Beehive in our ward. (Beehives are the 12-13 year old girls and they have their own class). So she and her teacher have been able to spend a lot of one-on-one time getting to know her. I love that the contents of this survival kit show just how well Sister Clark knows Anna.
Case in point . . . the potato. :)
Then on Monday afternoon Anna received a surprise visit from one of the Laurels in our ward (Laurels are the 16-17 year old class). She too, showed up with a sweet little finals survival kit. (Ack, I forgot to take a picture). Basically it was a bunch of little treats and this card with fun little sayings to go along with everything.
Once again, the happiness on Anna's face was golden. She was so touched and felt so special and so loved! They chatted at the door for a while and after lots of thank you's Anna gave her a hug before she left.
My mama heart was so happy.
As I mentioned, Anna is the only Beehive in her YW group and I've often felt bad for her that she doesn't have a bunch of little friends at church to connect with. So for this Laurel to show up and make this kind of effort and be so sweet to Anna . . .
This is what it's all about.
With my Stake Young Women calling we have been attending all of the wards in our stake for ward conferences over the past 3 months. We meet with the Young Women and share a special lesson with them, of which I have a small part. This past Sunday we finally met with my own ward. The message I share is based on the thought, "we rise by lifting others."
I try to teach the girls that the efforts they make to notice and lift those around them will help them reach their own potential. That Heavenly Father has placed them in specific places, knowing they have unique talents/abilities that will bless those who are in their direct contact, and it is up to them to make the effort to look around and serve.
One of the things I have the girls discuss with me is what kind of things make it difficult to reach out. What are some barriers to connection?
Common answers are: not knowing what to say, being afraid that the person might reject you or think you're weird, and differences including age, hobbies, personalities, where you go to school, etc.
And then I point out to them that all of these things -- all of these fears and hesitations come from the adversary. He wants us to be afraid to talk to each other. He does not want us to reach out and connect. God, on the other hand, wants more than anything for us to be one! He wants us to be patient with one another. He wants us to forgive. He wants us to form meaningful connections.
"The adversary would have us be critical or judgmental of one another. He wants us to concentrate on our differences and compare ourselves to one another. ...... We often let self-imposed barriers keep us from enjoying associations which could be among the greatest blessings of our lives." -Bonnie Oscarson, "Sisterhood: Oh How We Need Each Other"
I was so proud and delighted to see this Laurel taking this message to heart and acting on it. I already knew that she was a kind, service-minded person, but to see it in action in a way that directly blessed my daughter . . . . all the feels.
I'm so thankful for thoughtful YW leaders and kind girls . . . you are making an important impact!
Here's to the END of finals! Woohoo! Time to hop in the shower so I can plan something fun for my kids when they get out of school today.
