Dear Gayle,
We hope you are happy, healthy, safe, and loving school.
While your weather is getting cold, we move into the best time of year here.
Although I know many people love snow, I am not a fan at all. When we lived in
snow country, I slipped on the ice many, many times. A couple times I was hurt.
Anyway, during our scorching summers, I have to keep reminding myself that I
can’t slip on sunshine and don’t have to shovel heat. That keeps the hot summer
and awesome fall, winter, and spring in perspective.
What are you doing lately? Do you still cheer? Do you still
ride your bike a lot? Do you still love to read and love school? Do you enjoy
your piano lessons? I imagine you getting taller and more beautiful every day
but hope this growth also includes increased empathy and kindness. When we are
blessed with so much, it is hard to remember that others don’t often have such
a charmed life.
Lately, I’ve been working with a kindergarten girl at
school. She has a terrible history of neglect and abuse, which required her
removal from her mother’s custody. It’s tragic. Although she is super smart,
already reading nicely, writing a lovely hand, and beginning multiplication,
her personality needs a bit of TLC. When she is excited, she sneers and tells
what she did in a nah-nah-nah voice. Because I found this unnerving, I knew it
would be a problem for her unless we helped her learn an alternative. So, I
told her how her meanness hurt my feelings. She was shocked, saying she wasn’t
trying to be mean. Responding, I told her to practice smiling, as she conveyed
excitement. Another time I caught her taunting a child and talked to her about
kindness. Anyway, Thursday while she waited her turn to read with me, she
complimented the little girl next to her. She asked, ‘Was that nice Mrs.
Conrad?’ Because the other child was used to the first girl’s rudeness, she didn’t even
listen but complained of rudeness. I encouraged the first girl to explain
what she meant to her classmate; now the two are fast friends. She showed me
some handwriting the next day with a pleasant face and kind tone. Her progress
indicates her desire to be a peaceful, pleasant person.
I do this volunteer teaching as a service to God, but it is
sooo rewarding to make a difference in a life. I tend to think that’s why Jesus
commanded us to serve one another. Our Father and the Son knew the selfish but
self-depreciating nature of man, so commanded us to do the one thing that could
remedy both ills and at the same time care for his other children. If we look
closely, we can see that all the commandments are tools for a happy life. There
are no happy 40 year old addicts or alcoholics, none. Heavenly Father knows
what will make us happy, service being one of those things.
I traveled alone the other day. Well, I had a big layover coming back and forgot to bring a book.
Uncle Spencer took me to Barnes and Nobel on the way to the airport, where I
found Fever 1793. As I read it, I thought it would be perfect for you. Although
it might be a bit challenging, I think you are up for it. It could be one you
and your mother would enjoy reading together; I don’t know. Anyway, this bit of
historical fiction taught me a few things, but more importantly, it was a real
page-turner. Even though I liked it, I wasn’t sure if a nearly young woman,
such as yourself, would enjoy it as much as me. After reading the reviews, I
knew it was the one to send this time. Hopefully, I’m right.
As you know, I can’t eat wheat, eggs, milk, soy, and a bunch
of other things. Without those things, I had cakeless birthdays, until now.
This year we found a vegan bakery that offers wheat and soy free upon request.
For the first time in six years, I ate cake for my birthday. While I can’t say
it’s all I remember, it was somewhat enjoyable. I just may have another one
next year. However, it did eliminate the craving for pastries I endured for all
that time. Sweets are nice but not something I just gotta have. I’m so glad I
got over that one.
Gayle, we love you very much even though we don’t see you
often. Although we pray daily for you in a general way, this week we will pray
specifically and in great detail. No, I don’t specifically know what problems
you have, but I do remember the problems I had at your age. Those memories lead
me to pray that you will be safe, secure, happy, and health. We pray that God
will inspire you to be quick to listen, slow to react, and never speak unkindly
especially to those you love. We pray that you will develop deep faith, love of
learning, and beautiful touch on the piano. We pray that you are happy,
healthy, safe, and secure. We pray that you will be motivated to be an obedient
daughter, a loyal sister, a trustworthy friend, and a compassionate servant of
Jesus Christ. We pray that you will choose to embrace all that is good and stay
close to the gospel
Forgot to post this one last week.
Hi Cole!
We hope you are happy, healthy, and having a wonderful fall.
We especially love autumn here. After months of scorching hot weather, 80
degrees is very nice. Living in the hot desert is sort of opposite of snow country. There, nobody goes outside much because of the ice, snow, and
cold. You have to be very careful to dress properly and not get frostbite.
Here, we have to dress properly and not get sunburn. I think I like the hot
weather better than ice and snow, since I’ve not once slipped on sunshine.
One time, when we lived in snow country, I didn’t notice a
patch of black ice. My feet flew out from under me, and I landed on my head.
Hmmmm…maybe that’s why I’m so weird now. Oh, yah, I’ve always been weird…I have
no excuse. Anyway, after that I didn’t go out during the winter much for fear
of falling.
I still see lots of coyotes but haven’t yet gotten any
pepper spray. We decided a noisemaker is a better choice so will get a starter
pistol. Have you ever gone to a track meet? They start the races with a
gunshot. Although the gun isn’t the kind that shoots bullets, it makes a huge
racket—hopefully enough to scare a coyote. Now that I’ve realized I live and
walk in their home, I don’t feel such irritation toward them anymore.
Did you watch General Conference last weekend? To me
Conference is a huge treat. As people grow to adulthood, their problems are
bigger. We pray for help and answers. If we listen carefully, we can hear the
Holy Ghost whisper the answers during these sermons and while reading
scriptures. All the sermons held gems of inspiration for me, but the last two
especially spoke to my heart as answers to prayer.
General Conference used to be something to be endured until
I learned a little secret. When Uncle Spencer was your age, he and I bought and
listened to all of John Bytheway’s CDs. He loved them so much that he shared
them with his friends. They memorized all the talks, and John Bytheway’s jokes
became a basis for their crazy humor for years. More importantly for them and me,
several ideas changed how we saw church. For instance, he talked about the
church journal. Since then I use a journal during all meetings to keep my mind
focused. I write down things that are funny or interesting. I write any
inspiration I receive. Sometimes, I draw in the margins. A church journal
doesn’t need to be fancy; it can be as simple as a 50-cent spiral notebook from
Wal-Mart. But it can change your spiritual life.
What are you doing these days? Baseball is over, so you
can’t be doing that. Maybe you are kicking a soccer ball or riding a bike a
lot. Maybe you wait for the first good snow to go sledding. Maybe you are more
like me and read for hours and hours. Maybe do lots of science experiments.
Maybe you draw. Maybe like Spencer and Jason, you love scouting.
We hope you love learning and work hard at school. Sometimes
school can be a bear, but working through the hard times is so worth the
reward. It is fun to be smart, AND people who paid the price to be smart are
better off during adulthood. They have happier families, better resources, and
more meaningful employment. Does that mean life will be perfect and rosy if you
are diligent with your studies. No, we are not remotely promised that. However,
it will be a better journey with a good education.
“God who created the heavens and the earth knows the grand
design of this earth, that He has dominion over all things in the heavens and
the earth, and that in order to bring to pass the plan of salvation, He
provides us with many different experiences—including some trials—while we are
on this earth...The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can
endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well. We pass the test by
showing that we remembered Him and the commandments He gave us,” Koichi Aoyagi,
October 2015 General Conference.
So a good education isn’t enough either. We must also
develop deep faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This
brings me back to that church journal. Each week as Sunday approaches, I think
over my week. How could things have goon better? What could I have done
differently? How can I help my dear ones? What questions or problems do I need
to bring before my Father in Heaven? What are my areas of weakness and needs
for repentance? During Sacrament Meeting, I ponder these while listening and
writing. It sure is a lot more interesting and enlightening than enduring
church with great boredom. Give it a try and see if I’m right.
Well, Cole, we love you. Please, don’t ever forget this. We
think about you all the time, but this week we pray especially for you. We pray that God will inspire you to
be quick to listen, slow to react, and never speak unkindly especially to those
you love. We pray that you will develop a deep faith and love of learning. We
pray that you are happy, healthy, safe, and secure. We pray that you will be
motivated to be an obedient son, a loyal brother, and a trustworthy friend. We
pray that you will choose to embrace all that is good in the scouting program
and stay close to the gospel.
