Keep Your Chin Up

Warning, this post is long and it is a little personal, so please, bear with me.

I'm not even sure how to begin. Since Thanksgiving is this month I've been really trying to recognize the blessings in my life, from the small and simple, to the great. So with that in mind I want to share a couple of instances that happened a little while ago. Most of you know that we have had a difficult time financially lately. With Justin being laid off right before we moved over the summer to the unemployment market being saturated. It seems like it doesn't matter how much education you have or how many incredible things you have accomplished during past jobs. There are so many applicants for every job it's really hard to be offered anything at all. So when he was offered a position as a salesman for Lexus, Justin took it. It has continued to be what we thought it was at the time--something to do while we look for something better. Think of your current income, whatever it is and then divide that by four, thats kind of where we are now, at a fourth of our previous income. So even though it's hard sometimes it's truly a blessing that we live with my parents.

Anyway, that's just a preface to the rest of my post. So a couple of Sundays ago Justin and I were sitting in the foyer during Sunday School with Kenzie (we can't wait for her to be old enough to go to nursery). We both felt so discouraged--I don't know if any of you have felt this way. It was just all consuming and made doing anything really difficult. Well, we started talking with another mother in the foyer with her toddler and found out that her and her husband had recently moved into our ward. During the course of our conversation we lightly told her of our situation. She got all excited and told us that we needed to meet her husband who is tight friends with the guy in charge of hiring for their company. She said to us, "Keep your chin up," and we both felt so encouraged by that comment. Of course nothing came from sending her husband Justin's resume, we kind of new it would be like that at the time, but it was so refreshing and uplifting to hear and feel so much support from someone we hardly knew. It was just what we needed that day to get through.

Then a few days later I was at Wal Mart with Kate and Kenzie. I was again overwhelmed with the burdens that we are facing these days. This of course left me a little distracted. As we were trying to pick out the best jalapeno to put in our soup for dinner a man sped by on his motorized cart and Kate said, "Mom, you missed it! That was a really fat man!" I turned to look, but he had already sped pretty far away. At that time I turned back to Kate and told her that we don't say things like that, it's rude and it hurts people's feelings. Well, we went on to finish our shopping. I had to get some "stupid frisbees" for a school fundraiser for Kevin. That's how I felt about them. Kevin was assigned to bring frisbees to be part of a classroom basket that was going to be auctioned off. Now I probably could have explained that I don't have enough money, but it's so humiliating! And somehow being given this specific assignment I felt obligated. Besides, how expensive can frisbees be? So off we went, me feeling sick to my stomach about a lot of things and overwhelmed when this metabolically challenged man on his motorized cart sped up to me and said, (I'm not making this up), "I caught up to you because your daugher made a comment about me and I know she's young, but you didn't do anything to correct her, (and then without a break he turned to Kate and said), I'm like this because I was injured in Vietnam serving my country. Not on my first detail there, not on my second detail, but on my third detail serving my country. And now with all of the morphine and medications I take because of my injuries I gain weight no matter what my diet is like!" He might as well have added "So there!" I immediately apologized and calmly, but firmly told him that I had in fact corrected her and that he had sped away too fast to hear it. I think I said something like thank you for your service and we understand. I probably apologized again. And then he was off. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I'm still a little stunned myself. Of course the whole thing went over Kate's head and she just kept on with her never ending, "Look at that Mom! I want that for christmas!"

Needless to say, this event did not help my heavy heart in anyway. I just sped off to find my stupid frisbees and get home so I could help with homework, make dinner, go to activities, etc. Well, a few minutes later a women caught up to me and told me how she had overheard what that man had said. She apologized for his behavior. She recognized that little kids just say whatever and that they don't understand what they are saying. She told me that I had handled it well. Unfortunately or fortunately, my emotions finally caught up with me and I started to cry, (I know totally embarrassing!) I told her thank you and that I needed that today. And then she said, "Keep your chin up!" Again, such a simple statement from someone I didn't know but it came at a time when I really needed it. Again, it was supportive and encouraging and helped me get through. Even now it brings tears to my eyes. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your encouraging words!

So to anyone reading this who may find themselves in a tough spot, Keep your chin up! Things will get better.