Before you want to make me into a Grinch, hear me out. This Christmas was booked. We had many nights with two different events and some with three, but hardly one December evening without something. Here’s a little admission I don’t like to make: I can’t keep up even when it’s not Christmas and crazy busy, so adding more just felt like more I couldn’t accomplish. I started to get grumpy and that made me feel even more guilt. So I did what I always do when I don’t like where I am: I prayed. The Sunday before Christmas I told Heavenly Father that I wasn’t feeling the Christmas Spirit and I desperately wanted to so I could share it with my children. I plead for that Spirit to come to my heart and figured it would happen at church.
Cambry sang in the choir and the program was beautiful. My sweet, pure Cambry was the voice of Mary and she did a wonderful job. You’d think that would be enough, but the Christmas Spirit was still out of reach. I left the meeting feeling a bit forsaken.
That night we got a call on the cell phone. Our friend in India, Shama, has a grown son living in Santa Clara. Pushkar called to ask if it would be appropriate for him to come spend Christmas with us. Well of course it was. Now here is the ironic Grinch conversion. Doing more, could that honestly be the answer? But it was.
That evening Lestelle told me a true story she’d heard in her meetings about a stressed out mother and a man named Angel who she believes was sent to her door on a cold December day to help her unwrap the gift of peace and love in her heart while she found a way to give generously for the holidays. Pushkar became my Christmas angel, and thereby a blessing to my family.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Special needs
Riley had a conflict back in December. His first obligation, I thought, was to support his program and perform with his band at their holiday concert. Riley spoke with his teacher about a conflict that arose with his mutual group. They had been offered the chance to sponser a special needs ward for their weekly activity. Riley really wanted to attend that activity with a few other band kids in our ward. The teacher gave him a pass and let him write an essay to get credit back.
Both Cambry and Riley came home and told me how neat it was. Riley mentioned they'd played a game he was familiar with where you try to pop balloons tied to ankles without having yours' popped and how much fun it was play with these special needs kids. Cambry had a girl who wanted to sit by her and be her best friend.
That Sunday the special needs ward came and presented a sacrament meeting program to our ward. What a touching meeting!!! One leader told us how unusual our youth were, as they have wards meeting with them weekly. She said that a lot of boys are very competetive when it comes time to play games. But our youth were playing with the special needs people and some of our boys actually held out their balloons to be popped.
During the meeting, Cambry's special friend waved to her from the stand. When Cambry responded, the girl motioned to Cambry to be certain that the gesture was directed to her and upon getting an affirmative, demonstrated pure glee.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a mother whose child is in the specials needs ward approached Riley with tears in her eyes. She grabbed his arm and told him how impressed she'd been with him and that it was an honor to witness him passing the sacrament.
Those are moments a mother can't create.
Both Cambry and Riley came home and told me how neat it was. Riley mentioned they'd played a game he was familiar with where you try to pop balloons tied to ankles without having yours' popped and how much fun it was play with these special needs kids. Cambry had a girl who wanted to sit by her and be her best friend.
That Sunday the special needs ward came and presented a sacrament meeting program to our ward. What a touching meeting!!! One leader told us how unusual our youth were, as they have wards meeting with them weekly. She said that a lot of boys are very competetive when it comes time to play games. But our youth were playing with the special needs people and some of our boys actually held out their balloons to be popped.
During the meeting, Cambry's special friend waved to her from the stand. When Cambry responded, the girl motioned to Cambry to be certain that the gesture was directed to her and upon getting an affirmative, demonstrated pure glee.
At the conclusion of the meeting, a mother whose child is in the specials needs ward approached Riley with tears in her eyes. She grabbed his arm and told him how impressed she'd been with him and that it was an honor to witness him passing the sacrament.
Those are moments a mother can't create.