Angels Among Us

Yesterday was a doozy. Long and crazy, with lots of appointments, obligations, and general running-around-like a-chicken-with-my-head-cut-off. Made me feel so glad for my generally calm daily life that I tend to take for granted. As a rule, I almost never plan more than one outing in the same day. This is partially for my sanity (have you ever been to the store with the likes of Spencer?) and partially for...well, my sanity again. (See note on Spencer). I'm certainly not a bang-out-all-my-errands-in-one-day kinda gal. I'd much rather have a reason to get out of the house for just a little while on most days (with some hang-out-at-home-days mixed in there, too) than try to squeeze everything into one stressful, awful, packed-in day. Home is also where the naps are, so being gone during that very sacred time just does not make sense to my already fragile, very fatigued spirit. (Again, see note on Spencer).

Then there was yesterday. I got Spence up early so that he could take a nap before his 1:15 doctor appointment. (Don't they know that my little guy is sleeping at 1:15 in the afternoon?) I had to figure out how to be at both Savanna's Fun Run and Julia's morning doctor appointment at the same time. (Thanks to Craig, that was an easy fix.) Then I had to wake Spence up after his mere hour-long nap to go to the school for the Fun Run, where I arrived late and had to situate myself and Lex and also park the stroller directly in front of a nice lady sitting in a chair (who is probably still annoyed by, and telling stories about, me.) Then home for a bit to find out about J's appointment (poor girl has been sick since Friday). Next, I picked up Savanna from school and made an unexpected trip to Craig's work for car keys (insert long story here), attempted to squeeze 55 minutes of driving into 40 minutes, and spent an hour at the doctor's office, in which just about the entire time my main task was to deflect Spencer from touching and/or tampering with any and every switch and button in the various rooms we were in, and also holding him down screaming while he got his follow-up x-rays. Home again to a messy house where I needed to plan and make dinner before the girls' parent-teacher conferences.

Not the worst day in the world, I know, but still very stressful and taxing for the likes of me.

Enter Linda. My sweet, calm, wonderful mother-in-law who stopped in to check on the older girls while I was at the doctor's office with the two youngers. She completely took charge, stayed and emptied the dishwasher and cleaned the disastrous kitchen and then waited until I got home and offered to buy us something for dinner because it had been a long day.

Her timing could not have been more perfect, her selflessness more appreciated, or her intuition more ideal. Truly I count her as an angel in my life, one who seeks to show love and support, to open her heart to those who need help, and to serve in any capacity where she might be needed.

"...[W]hen we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us...Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind." --Jeffrey R. Holland

{Linda and I in Maui in 2012}

Thank goodness for those angels among us, who, with their gestures of love, their steadfast support, and their generous help, take some of our most difficult days and turn them into something lovely and treasured.