I Can Do Hard Things

...and when I can't, I can find lovely people to do them for me.

To backtrack, about a month ago, I made a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish before Eli comes home from his mission March 25th. Some of these things are fairly easy: shampoo the carpets, get Eli a cell phone, assemble his letters into a binder. Others, though, were just a bit more challenging, and the most challenging of all was creating this photo gallery on a wall in my kitchen. As most of you know, I don't have a single artistic bone in my body; my only creativity comes in the form of speaking, teaching, or writing. So generally, I just don't do stuff like this. I know better. At least I should know better.

But when I saw this photo gallery at a house I visited, I became obsessed with the idea. I desperately wanted one like it in my home; consequently, it went on the "Before Eli Gets Home" list, and by far the most difficult item on the list, it became a top priority. I already wrote about the first steps here, so I won't repeat. I didn't think anything could be as hard as painting those stupid frames, but once again, I was mistaken. Turns out getting the things nailed up on the wall in an eye-pleasing design was at least as difficult. This time, fortunately, I wasn't alone. I had Shulamith beside me to help. But neither of us really has any artistic ability OR patience, both of which would help greatly with such a project.To add to the stress, her baby was asleep downstairs, and we really didn't want to wake him, but we also just wanted to be done, so we had to try to hammer quietly (I know, right?), or if not quietly, then quickly!

First we had to nail the little picture-hanging thingies to the back of the frames. Then we turned all the frames over and laid wax paper on top of the whole display, so we could mark with a Sharpie exactly where each hole should go. Then we taped the wax paper to the wall and began to hammer nails. Now this should have worked perfectly, one would think. It looked perfect when the frames were on the table. But no, somehow we managed to have a big gap between pictures in one place and a smaller one in another. So weird. Ultimately, we moved things around, re-hammered a few nails, till finally it was what we wanted. And here it is:

I think it looks lots better in person than in this picture. I actually love it! But keep in mind that I love all the people in the photographs, so that's probably why. I still have two photos that need frames, and they will go to the right of the current display.

I can do hard things.

...and when I can't, I can find lovely people to do them for me.

Like yesterday. Another item on my "Eli" list was to put a white shirt, tie, and missionary name tag into a shadow box to hang on the wall in Eli's room. I know, I know, this is yet another bad idea for a non-crafty person like me. But it isn't Eli's fault that he has a craft-challenged mother, and I wanted this for him. Luckily, I belong to a wonderful group of women called the Arkansas Little Rock Missionary Moms. Ours is a Facebook group that spans the country, but quite a few of us live right here in the Salt Lake City area. We have gathered several times in the past two years, once last summer with our husbands here, and another time this past fall with just us moms. And then again yesterday at Cindy's house. Our goal yesterday, other than socializing, was to share ideas to welcome our missionaries home. I'm the one with a kid coming home soonest (23 days from today!), so they are all very jealous. And I was so careful not to rub it in at all. No, not at all. I would never do that.

One project we undertook was the framed missionary shirt I mentioned above. Now all along I knew this would be way, way beyond my ability. However, I have lots of experience finding people to do for me what I cannot do for myself. In our ward in Montana, I had good friends who were crazy talented, and if I whined enough, one of them would always jump in and make my project for me (Hi Celeste and Lisa and Lindsey. How I miss you!). I wasn't sure how well this strategy would work here, however, here where I don't really have any close friends. These wonderful missionary moms don't know me that well. Would one of them come to my rescue anyway? If I whined sweetly enough?

Yes! Meet Carlene. Her son has been in the mission just over a year (it's all downhill from here, Carlene!), and she took pity on me in my ineptitude.

Just look at her working hard on Eli's frame, with Lisa working on Elder Draper's in the background. And here it is:

As always, our time together was too short. Too short for all the stories we had to tell, too short for all the friendships we had to renew, too short for all the love we had to share. We are missionary moms, after all. And not to rub it in. Because I would never do that. Next time we meet, I will have Elder Webster with me. Just sayin'.

I can do hard things.

...and when I can't, I can find lovely people to do them for me.