A rambley one

First of all, is rambley a word? Probably not.

Second of all, blogger changed all its formatting stuff and I can't figure out how to get my dang header centered. So until I do, pretend like it's supposed to be that way, mmmkay?

So I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. We have been doing things, I've just been a little too lazy to post about them. But I'm trying to be better. Maybe. ...Not making any promises.


It's not Thursday, so no Thursday Thought, but I have been thinking about something. Maddie and I have been butting heads recently. Recently, as in, most of her life. She is little Miss Independent. She has to do things her way or no way. It has to be on her terms, or no one's. Of course, since she's four years old, she knows how to do everything. She knows the right way to do it and she doesn't need help from anyone, ever. At least she's cute, right?
Anyway, I'm struggling with how to parent her and how to teach her because she's just so difficult to interact with. I'll try to teach her something, and she responds with, "I KNOW!" Time outs don't seem to phase her, taking away privileges doesn't seem to work. I don't know how to reach her. She is SO darn stubborn! If she would just let me help her, I think it would make both of our lives easier. And I think I might grow to love and understand her more because she'd be letting me serve her.

Jump to this past weekend. It was the ward camp out. We camped about 45 minutes away in a beautiful campground. It was a great weekend. I was in charge of most of the festivities which was fine. Except then Aaron got sick. And he couldn't help. He drove up and dropped stuff off, then went home to rest. Which would have been fine, except for trying to do everything, and having Parks and Maddie not in the best of form. Parks got a sick stomach, Maddie was whining/crying/screaming because some boy hit her with a branch. And I'm trying to gather up everyone in the ward for a special program. Anyway, it wasn't working too well.

We made it past the program, and the camping weekend was nearly over. I was getting ready to go, packing up the tent, etc. As I'm doing so, two teen-aged sisters showed up and started helping me pack. I assured them I was OK and I could do it on my own. I didn't want to bother them, it was fine. They insisted that they had nothing better to do. They WANTED to help. I told them again I was OK. Everything was fine. I could do it myself. One of them responded, "You're making it pretty difficult for me to help, but I'm going to do it anyway."

That kind of took me by surprise. Then I started thinking, that maybe I was being just as stubborn as little Maddie. I put off their offers to help, mostly because I didn't want to be a bother. But I WAS being just as stubborn as Maddie. I told those girls I could do it myself. And yes, I could have. BUT, if I didn't let them help, I'd miss out on an opportunity to let them serve me. AND, I would have missed out on an opportunity to grow as well. Because in letting them serve me, I grew closer to them and had a greater amount of respect for them. And it really did help me to let them help.

So the "a-ha!" moment for me was in realizing that we need each other in this life. We need to, in humility, allow others to help and serve us. And we also need to do the same for others. It's the way it's supposed to be. And as much as I'd like to think that I can do everything on my own, sometimes it is SO much easier and nicer to have that help. Now, learning to ask for help, that's another problem altogether. My four-year-old certainly isn't there, and after 31 years on this earth, I'm not much closer either.

Alright, I found one quick quote that goes along with this. Marjorie Pay Hinckley said this:

“Oh, how we need each other. Those of us who are old need you who are young. And, hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old... We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other.”

Virginia H. Pearce, ed., Glimpses into the Life and Heart of Marjorie Pay Hinckley (1999), 254–5