I was looking through the archives of my half written posts and I found this one. I thought it would be a good one to finish and post. It was a thankful Thrusday post I got pulled away from before I could finnish. Enjoy!
Well, it is Thursday again and I am having a hard time thinking of something to write. Lately instead of my mind being filled with gratitude it has been occupied more often with worry. Mostly about how I am going to pay for school and the new tires I need and the other things in life. Ohy. But I am going to think of a happy thought if it kills me.....
I am grateful for the fact that I know the "things" in this life are not important. I am grateful that I know I have everything I really do need. I am grateful for my amazing family who have put up with me.
I was sitting here in my mother's office trying to think of something to write about and I turned and asked my mom who was in her room, "what am I grateful for?" Her instant response was "Me!" It is very true. I have one of the best mothers ever called mother. Many people have said that but I am actually telling the truth. She has taught me so much and is an expert at many things.
Things my mother taught me:
1. Don't take yourself to seriously.
I can't even count the times I have come home distraught because I did something dumb or some one insulted me and my mother found a way to lighten things up for me. She is the queen of not taking yourself to seriously. She has taught me to laugh about things if I make a mistake or a wrong turn.
2. When something happens you can either laugh or cry.
I am so grateful for this philosophy of my mother's. I guess it is very similar to the one above. But when some thing would happen that I wasn't to thrilled about my mother would make jokes about it. Some times I would laugh and some times I would give her the "mom this is NOT funny look." then i would hear, "Deborah, you can either laugh or cry. Why not laugh?"
One time I found my self in a very less then desirable situation. It was actually pretty serious but I said something about it and my friend and I started laughing our heads off. Another person with us asked how I could laugh at this I turned to her and said "Well I can either laugh or cry about it. I choose to laugh." What an I am turning into my mother moment, but really I didn't mind.
3. Puddles are made to splash in
I grew up in the high desert of California. I LOVED rain. Mainly because my mother loved rain and taught us how much fun it was. When the raindrops strated falling and the other mothers pulled their children inside the house, my mother would push her's out. We were allowed and encouraged to run around it in and splash in the puddles. HOw much fun is that for a 10 years old?!?! After rain there also were HUGE, and I mean huge! mud holes in the desert behind our housing complex. We LOVED playing in those. We would be up to our waists in mud and come home dripping. gross I know but really I never remember my mother getting upset at us. Maybe the most she did was roll her eyes but I remember she could tell how much fun we were having and let us do it.
4. We serve in the church because we are asked to and we love our Savior.
I can't count the times I heard this. My mother would say we are doing this because we were asked to. She taught me that obedience was the highest law. She would say, "Deborah, you may not always know why we are asked to do things but you do them anyway and then you will be blessed." I am so grateful my parents taught me this principle of service.
5. We Go to church activities because we support our leaders.
Growing up the Allreds were at EVERYTHING. Any church activity there was the Allreds were there. there were sometimes I would have rather played dolls or slept in, but yes any saturday morning there was a pine wood derby or service activity I would be woken up early to be there by 9 am or what ever ridiculous hour it started. I did help that the church was right behind our house. Oh I miss those days!
6. Don't judge others until you know the whole story.
When I hear something from a friend or some thing happens I am ususally the first get fired up about it and I am ready to run in there with a good tounge lashing for any who has offended my love ones. My mother often has remeinded me, "Deborah you don't know the whole story. Calm down there." As much as I hate it I take a step back and hold off on my storming the castle with bows and arrows. It probably has saved me a lot of needless battles or confrontations.
7. Choose you battles wisely
My mother is very good at this. She doesn't get into a fight unless it really means something to her and she is going to win. If it isn't important she'll just let it go. What an example to me. Growning up I would fight you at the drop of the hat if it got me fired up or I didn't agree. She often would remind me that I needed to work on choosing my battles better and that some things just don't matter. She is so right.
My mother is a very smart woman and I am so grateful to have her as my mother. I don't know what I would do without her!
