A few of my Facebook friends have been posting things they're thankful for each day during November in honor of Thanksgiving. I have not done that, but I think it's a great idea. Among the many things my friends are thankful for are health, children, mobility, freedom, Heavenly Father's love, snow, employment, the Gospel, cars that run, good food, and family. I have very thankful friends! A couple of them have mentioned to me recently, either directly or indirectly, that it's better to embrace our circumstances, whatever they are, and find the joy in them, rather than complaining about what we have no power to change. I'm a bit of a complainer, myself. I often wonder about the early saints who walked across the plains, enduring incredible hardship in search of religious freedom. History tells us they never murmured. They never complained. I've often thought, "Seriously? Were these real human beings?" I also tend to worry about worst-case scenarios rather than expecting the best. My experience is that if something can go wrong, it will, so it's better to be emotionally prepared for the worst.
Today, though, I'm attempting to follow the counsel of some of my more optimistic friends and to embrace my circumstances, especially those I have no power to alter. One of those would be the weather. Friday after school, I stayed on the West End of town to Christmas shop. By the time I was ready to drive home, snow was falling in near blizzard style, the roads were icy, and traffic was ridiculous. I stopped by Gerald's office downtown, and it still took me a full hour to get up to the Heights from there, a 10-minute drive typically. I was very scared. A native Oregonian and 11-year Washington resident, I don't like to drive on icy roads. However, in retrospect, there is much to embrace and to be grateful for. Yes, it took a long time to get home. But all that time was spent in a warm car with lovely Christmas music playing. I wasn't ever cold. And though I felt out of control several times (like every time I tried to stop, go, or turn), I did not wreck my new red car, and I made it home safely to my children.
When we awoke Saturday morning, the temperature was -8. It had snowed all through the night. About 1/2-foot of fresh snow lay on the ground, with more coming. It was the perfect day to set up our tree and decorate for Christmas. Normally, I don't do that until right after Thanksgiving, but this year we will be in Utah all weekend, so I wanted it done ahead of time. How often do we get to decorate for Christmas with snow falling outside? It added much to the experience. I would have preferred to just stay in all day and not to brave the sub-zero temps, but Eli was performing with his community youth choir in the afternoon, and we couldn't miss that. It was very windy, making -8 feel more like -20, but we bundled up as best we could and headed out. Again thankful for our warm van and for Gerald's expert snow driving ability and for the fact that I, myself, didn't have to drive, we attended Eli's performance. It was so good. His choir sang three songs, all lovely Christmas carols, as entertainment for a craft bazaar. We stopped for groceries on the way home to our warm, comfortable house. I am thankful for both food and heat!
Now we face another challenge, driving to Salt Lake City on Wednesday in weather conditions that show no signs of any real improvement. It could be a terribly long day. The trip usually takes around nine hours, but the forecasted icy roads and strong winds could easily add several more. So how do I embrace this experience and find ways to be thankful? There are lots of ways. First, we have two children living in Salt Lake City, and the joy of being with them will make any travel challenges totally worth it. Second, we have as much time as we need. There will be no need to hurry. Technology has blessed us with several items that make long-distance driving so much easier than in years passed, especially with kids. Seth will have his DSI, a hand-held video-game console. He will also have a personal DVD player, so he can watch movies, and every time he runs out of movies, we can simply stop by another Redbox and rent more. Eli will have a laptop, so he can work on a research paper that is due right after we get back. My Pandora Christmas radio station is all set up to provide us with beautiful music. Then there are the more primitive travel conveniences like a cooler full of junk food and pop to provide us comfort on the way. Oh, and I'll probably also bring an old-fashioned book to read, not sure which one yet, but something.
Lastly, even if it is only briefly (depending on weather conditions), I will get to stop in Rexburg and hug Lindsey and her kids. I miss them more than you know. I can't wait!
It's gonna be great. It is. We are going regardless, so we may as well embrace the experience and find the joy, right?
Thankful for -8 degrees! (And if you'd like to pray for our safe travels, we'd be ever so thankful for that as well.)
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