Thankful part II

This post was written as every single one of my children clammored for my undivided attention. There are spelling errors and disjunct sentances. Forgive them please, it is the season I am in....


My thanks this day is centered in

Experience


I'm thankful for experiences which have helped me become who I am. A few of these include;

*Growing up a Hadfield. My parents and siblings are-aside from John-my greatest strength.

*Growing up in a home where work was part of life. We pitched in, end of story. Delivering newspapers to buy school clothes. Babysitting so our parents could run the family business. Painting, roofing, gardening, laying carpet and sod, all these things were part of my upbringing. I'm thankful for work-for what it teaches and for the satisfaction it brings (even though I continue in my adulthood to try and avoid it like the plague;)

*Receiving an Education. I am the first woman in my mother's family to hold a bachelor's degree. This accomplishment, and the blessing it was to work toward it, is one of the things I am most grateful for in my life.

*Attending seminary as a teenager. This daily dose of religion was an immense blessing to me in a time when I felt uncertain of my worth and value. As we all do, I needed to find out for myself if the faith of my fathers was for me. Seminary helped me learn that it was for me (and for my family to come, if they will in turn find out for themselves as well). As I furthered my college education I attended Institute classes, which deepened and broadened my young understanding and provided a springboard from which I could become more intelligent concerning my faith.

*Meeting, courting, marrying and living with my friend and companion, John. From the first "hello" to the kiss I stole in his office just now, having John be a part of my life has made me into more than I could have ever been alone. His is a more perfect friendship than I ever felt worthy to be blessed with in this life. From my love for him has come the foundation of a family that defines my current life and all the turmoil, joy and change that comes with it. With his partnership -and our mutual commitment to eternal covenants which place Christ and His teachings at the center and core of our daily living- I can do anything.

*Mothering. Oh how Mothering is an Experience. It molds, it demands, it rewards. It is, for me, the ultimate tutoring experience of this life. How glad I am to be partners with a great father in this parenting enterprise. Mothering is the Experience of the eternities, and I hope to get through several of the bumps and bruises of a first run so that I do better as the eternities roll on....


These are only a few. But a defining few, of the experiences that I'm thankful for this season. What experiences are you thankful for? share some here, and remember to express your gratitude for them in this season of Thanks.