Hards Things

I know many people live by the mantra, "I can do hard things". We all can do hard things. We do them everyday. My hard is different than your hard. I don't really think it is fair to do comparisons. Each one of us has been assigned a menu of difficulties to overcome in this life and there is no getting around that. If you are having some smooth sailing right now I am happy for you. Enjoy it while it lasts, because eventually something will come. I'm not saying that to scare anybody; just to be real. The perfect life doesn't exist---at least not my idea of perfect. There will always be hard things to deal with.

One of the hard things for my little family is Father's Day. There is no sugar coating it; it is just a brutal day. Even the days leading up to it are painful thorns in our sides. I shudder to think of what my kids have to endure when they are away from me concerning this event. It broke my heart when Cooper came home and said his friends kept asking him who he was making his craft for. It was a hot knife when Marin described the stares and whispers of her classmates as she carefully completed her projects. The hoopla culminates on Sunday with primary lessons, activities, presents, crafts, talks all devoted to, you guessed it, Father's Day. I can't protect my children from many things, but I can protect them from THAT. I have made a deal with God. I will stay true, I will try to follow the commandments, I will serve, I will keep my covenants, but I need this one day. I believe He is fine with that.

So, we do Father's Day in a different sort of way. On Saturday night, we pack up and go into hiding. We eat out, watch movies, play on the playground, stroll by the lake. In the morning we have a big breakfast, and then do a hike together. I figure enjoying God's creations with family is the second best thing to worship if you are not actually sitting in church. We go for drives to beautiful places, recall fun memories, and have a picnic. We finish off by delivering the beautiful hand made things the kids have created to the cemetery where we feel Cam can enjoy them.

It is still hard, even though the things we had planned were fun. Every where we went there were always dad's with their kids doing fun dad things. I can't help but notice and I know my kids notice too. They will be returned to their dad one day, but for the here and now it is still one of those HARD things that I'm glad is over for the year. Strength to you as you rise above your hard things.