Hey! I think I'm doing all right!

[5ft Diva]

I was wondering what kinds of encounters w/ other adults help you to feel like you're doing all right? For example. The other day I was talking to someone who said that there was one night earlier in the week when they didn't get dinner on the table until after 9:00 one evening. Because this happens at our house...um....occasionally, I realized that, "Hey! I think I'm doing all right!" and I can take the huge dinner guilt rock off of my pile. I'm most interested because when I hear what kinds of things help you realize you're doing just fine, I'll probably find more things to help me realize I'm doing better than I think I am.

[Dia Minha]

With me it is Family Home Evening, family scripture study and family prayers. I was really struggling, because I didn't think the quality of our FHE was very good. We had some that were excellent and some that just seemed to fizz out before even catching fire. Then someone talked in sacrament meeting are I read an article about how that is going to happen, but if you keep working at it, your efforts will not go unrewarded as long as you are doing it.

Then I had a conversation with a friend and I was telling her that when my DH is gone we don't read straight from the scriptures. We pull out the children's picture scripture stories and read from those, because the kids and I don't get wrapped up trying to understand the language and we can actually talk about the story and how it relates to us. When DH is home we read from the scriptures and then he can explain what is going on and ask the kids questions, but I'm just not as good at it. When I read the scriptures all I can explain is how it makes me feel. Usually I have no idea what is going on in the "story" or any historical details surrounding the "story". Anyway, my friend thought it was an awesome idea. Here I was saying that I didn't feel like I was doing a very good job, because we weren't reading straight from the scriptures and she was impressed that we got "scripture study" done when DH was gone.

And relating to housekeeping; I'm am not a housekeeper and I quit trying to be one many years ago. However, once in a while I will be in a home that you can tell the women of the house is a housekeeper and I will wish I could keep my house like that. Then I will go on a rampage of sorts to "keep house" and usually fail. But then I will be in several homes where it is morning and the dinner dishes are still in the sink or the floor hasn't been mopped for a week and I realize that it is probably about 50/50. As in 50% women are housekeepers and 50% are house cleaners and I don't feel so bad about being a house cleaner. It has even gotten to the point that I don't worry so much with others see my front room in turmoil, because I know it isn't always like that. I just can't keep it clean 100% of the time. And I know that 50% of the women out there are just like me.

[natickgirl]

Great thoughts, Dia. We put so much pressure on ourselves to do it all & do it "right." Sometimes it takes seeing others--good people with good families--struggling with the same issues we are to realize we don't have to be perfect. I have been reminded recently that Heavenly Father knows individually, knows our families, knows our circumstances, knows our hearts. I tend to measure myself against the ideal (for FHE, scripture study, family prayers, home organization, etc.) & find myself lacking in every category. If I let it, my feelings of guilt & inadequacy can overpower my desire to keep trying. Sharing my struggles with other women helps me stay grounded. Also, remembering that the atonement covers my weakness helps, too. I have hope that my children will (when they are grown) understand that we did our best as parents. I also secretly hope that my children have children just like them so they can realize it's not easy trying to have spiritual experiences with kids who are goofing around!