What gifts does he bring? - A new grandchild

Today, on the birth of our 9th grandchild I feel somewhat emotional. I feel relief. I feel gratitude. I feel awe.

The older I get and the more time passes I am filled with a profound sense of the importance and meaning of family. I wonder if there really is anything else that matters. It seems that the whole purpose of the universe and the existence of any creation is to enable, support and sustain the family.

I wonder about this new child arriving directly from Heaven. Who is he? Why did he come now? What is his mission on earth? I wonder what gifts he brings and how I can assist in his divinely mortal journey.

I feel moved with gratitude and compassion for my children and their spouses as they experience and welcome their children into their lives. My tears are flowing freely today.

Feast of Gratitude

Recently I said to my family, “If I cannot be happy, then it is not possible for anyone on earth to be happy."  I am blessed with faith, family and eternal blessings.  For me to be ungrateful would be a sin. 

And so, as part of my Thanksgiving feast, I give thanks to my Father in Heaven for his delicious plan of happiness, my Savior, and the opportunity to be a part of his kingdom on earth.  I have tasted the sweet savor of the Atonement and partaken of the beauty and covenants of the temple.  

I have been given heaping servings of love from my family.  Other delicious delicacies that are part of my feast are freedom, education, transportation, communication, health and property.  Next to me is the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  And the table keeps enlarging with more and more to partake, so much that it cannot be taken in, and I am left to sit and stare at dishes filled to overflowing.

Consider - Poem

Consider -

Consider 5000 fed

With

Blessed fish and bread

Remember

Small breakfast spread

With bowed head

Janice Harten

Jan 20, 2011
Copyright © 2012 Janice Harten.  All rights reserved.

A Chosen Occupation

How is it possible for me to sit in my warm, comfortable home, while others have their homes lifted and dashed to pieces, evidence of the power of nature to determine destiny.  It is a reminder that I am here at the discretion and mercy of an all powerful being.  Yet, perhaps I can exercise power given to me to bless and comfort.  The gift of a few dollars or extra items, a prayer raised to heaven, and a feeling of sympathy and compassion; charity, humility and gratitude is a chosen occupation.

In Memory of Jeane

On August 24, my mother-in law, passed away.   Bill and I were on a temple trip through Canada when he received the phone call from his sister.  Some people might have wondered why we had tears in our eyes, moments later, while sitting in a restaurant, as the first realization about our loss began to sink in.

As I contemplated what Jeane meant to me, a certain question kept coming to mind.  Will anyone remember me when I am gone?  It seems like a selfish question to ask at the passing of another person, but I couldn't get it out of my mind.  Will I be remembered a week after I am gone, in a month, a year, in ten years, or one hundred?

I thought of many conversations I had with my mother-in-law.  She had a way of telling stories about her own life, that taught lessons.  She also shared stories of her childhood, such as the time, as a teenager, she visited the home of a friend whose father had given her a musical instrument, called a marimba.  Jeane asked if she could try playing it.  With great natural musical ability, she played it beautifully the first time.  This was offensive to her friend, but Jeane recognized the gift she had been given, and in years to come, she would obtain and play her own marimba at many events.  Other times, she spoke about doing genealogy, reading, or writing in the middle of the night.  Her writings contained powerful concepts, such as, keeping her fingers off other people's buttons, meaning their agency.  When her life became more solitary and isolated, as her hearing and vision faded, she spoke about her prayers to find her glasses, or her purse.  She acknowledged the Lord's help with her simplest, momentary needs, as well as his help to remain grateful and happy as she endured to the end.

As I reflected on the impact these conversations have had on my life, I had a profound realization and found the answer to my question.  My life has been forever changed by knowing and spending time with Jeane.  And I will never forget her, because her life is woven into the very fabric of my own.  I have become a certain kind of person because of her influence.  My thoughts are not just my own, but are also hers, and I can no more forget her, than I can forget myself.  And her influence continues to be passed on,  into the lives of my children and grandchildren.  More powerful than our physical genes, is our spiritual heritage, which lives on in the lives of anyone we have contact with.

Oil Painting by Jeane