A Week to Be Thankful

Thanksgiving Week-- Read a book that changed my life... the perfect book for that week...

Saturday-- Finally purchased the book, "Heaven Is Here," written by Stephanie Nielson, a Mormon Mommy blogger that I have been following for years
Sunday-- Began reading... "The summer Christian learned to fly was the happiest summer of my life..."
Monday-- Totally engrossed in the book... couldn't put it down, even for a second... I was being totally anti-social, at my girls' school, off in the corner reading my book... (yeah, it's that good!)  I was right in the middle of Stephanie falling in love with "Mr. Nielson," when Callie (who was way overdue for her nap, like she is every Monday) started her regular "I'm-way-too-tired!!" routine of screaming and hitting all other small children around her.  I decided to take her out to the van, so I could continue my reading, while not harming/disturbing anyone else.  I began reading again...  "One night soon after, he drove me home after one of our dates, and we stayed in the car and talked in my parents' driveway.  I teased him about kissing me, and put my face close to his..."  The romantic world I was in, disappeared, as I heard Calyssa crying and thrashing herself around in the back of the car... and I had a little prompting, "Pick her up."  My first thought was, "No way!  I'm in the middle of this amazing book and besides, she hates being cuddled to sleep."  But I felt it again and couldn't ignore it.  As soon as I picked my sweet baby up, she calmed right down.  She still fought her heavy eyelids, especially whenever I tried to gently lean her head toward my shoulder.  But eventually she couldn't help but allow her head to drift closer... and closer... and closer... until she finally fell asleep, snuggled up in my arms.  It is one of my favorite things in the whole world to have my babies fall asleep in my arms and this moment was even more tender because she never does!  Add to the moment, the fact that my baby is almost 2!!!  and I just couldn't help but cry, as I held her tight in my arms... thinking that maybe this would be the last time I would have my "baby" fall asleep like that.  I sat there crying for probably a good 10-20 minutes and silently thanked my Heavenly Father for helping me to take the time to have that special moment.

Tuesday-- Reading the book again...  Crying a ton, reading about her small plane accident, in which she was burned over 80% of her body, her husband was burned over 30% of his, and their friend was killed... about her waking up in a hospital after months in a coma.  Her life had changed forever.  She only wanted her Mom.  It was hard to read about how she didn't want to see her husband.  I was touched to read of her memories of her time in heaven with her Grandmother and her choice to live.  She remembers having the choice to come back to earth or to stay in heaven.  She knew that if she returned she was have to "experience pain and embarrassment for the rest of (her) life..." However, she just "wanted to be a wife and a mother again on this Earth."  And she was promised that her life "would have meaning and purpose beyond what (she) could comprehend..."  And she was told to "Let the light of your faith inspire other people... Share your hope."  This was one of my favorite parts of the whole book!!  She has inspired SO many people.  As I was reading this part, one of my daughters said, "Mommy, come here quick!!"  I finished my paragraph and ran to the back door.  Up in the sky was the brightest double rainbow!  "Mommy, the colors are so bright!!"  "Yes," I said.  All my other girls gathered around to see and I thought how blessed I was to share this beautiful addition God had given to our day, with my beautiful girls, that He has also given me.

Wednesday-- I read the last section of the book... where she finally came home from the hospital and returned to her life.  Prior to coming home, she had lots of hard moments, like when her daughter wouldn't come into the room again for weeks, after seeing her for the first time... or when she looked at herself for the first time in the mirror.  However, she knew that she was so incredibly blessed to be alive... and to be walking... and to be going home.  She learned to treasure every little moment in her life.  She simply wanted to be able to fulfill her role as a wife and a mother.  She wanted so badly to just be able to fold a load of laundry,... or to be able to button her daughter's coat,... or to have her daughter look her in the eyes... or to be able to kiss her husband again... or to be able to have another baby.  Every little moment in life that we all take for granted, became a huge blessing and something to be thankful for.   My favorite part of the last section was when they went out to dinner, as a family, for the first time since the accident.  Tons of people were staring at her and though she was struggling with it, she was being loved by each of her kids and her husband and she thought, "Let them look all they want.  Let them go ahead and look at me, the luckiest mother alive."

"Heaven is Here" may have been the best book I have ever read.  (I highly recommend it!)  It definitely has changed my life for the better.  It helps me be more thankful for every little thing and I am trying hard not to take the little things for granted.  I am thankful for my fingers and that they can pick things up...  And I am thankful for the fact that I don't have to deal with pain every day of my life...  I am thankful for the laundry I get to fold, and for the dirty diapers I have the opportunity to change, and that I am physically able to scrub toilets...  And I am thankful that I am blessed with 6 amazing girls, who love me... and a husband, who tells me several times a day that I am "so beautiful."  I agree, Stephanie, heaven is definitely here.  Thank you for sharing your hope with me.