Salu! Yes, I know, it has been a long time since
I’ve attempted to compose a blog post. Life happened, and then happened some
more. Part of the adventures were wonderful, like the birth of our youngest
grandson 3 months ago. Some of the adventures were not so wonderful, and others
tore at our hearts. In short—life picked up speed and dragged me along for the
ride.
I did learn some things along the way: for example,
it’s never good to tuck things away and tamp it all down inside. Yep, I’m one
of those kind of people. Something happens, it rips my heart out, and I tend to
tamp down the pain and move on. I’ve done this so often, you would think that I
would realize that this is a really, really bad plan.
This tendency always ends in disaster. Instead of
sorting through and dealing with a painful situation, I tuck things away until
the dam finally bursts, and all of those emotions come pouring out despite a valiant
effort to stifle the flood. Good times.
Actually, it’s not . . . and it has taken me months
to clean up the mess. Thankfully with our Father in heaven’s help, and the
patient encouragement of a close friend, I was able to do just that. I will be
eternally grateful for her willingness to wade in after me.
I tend to be quite independent. My parents told me
that I came that way. I suspect that many of us are the same way. We do our
best to tackle extremely difficult challenges on our own. It’s kind of a pride
thing, which I understand isn’t a great attribute to have. Despite our
stubbornness and determination to handle trials as best we can, the truth is,
we were never meant to walk those difficult pathways alone. We have to learn
that there are times when we need help—whether it’s as simple as praying for
guidance, or accepting a hand that reaches down to pull us back onto the path.
I’ve looked back over the past few months and it has
been a journey of healing. I think Someone decided that I had tamped down the
emotions from a particular trial for far too long, and it was time to lance the
wound. That pain came pouring out like puzzle pieces. I examined each one and
with a friend’s help, was able to piece that picture back together.
The upside is that I’m feeling peace (for the most
part—this is latter-day mode, after all. There are still a plethora of
adventures taking place everywhere . . . but I digress) and I’m no longer
feeling numb. I’m sure it’s all part of the grieving process we go through when
facing a traumatic challenge. And because we’re all different, we heal at
different times and in different ways.
For me, I had reached a point where I needed to
clean up my “inner house.” Sadly, it took a tragic loss to break through the
brick wall I had carefully constructed around my heart. But it needed to
happen, and now I feel an inner strength that wasn’t there before. The
scripture: “ . . . because thou has seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong
. . .” (Ether 12:37) has taken on a whole new meaning for me. So has the
following poem that I composed in 1992:
Pieces of Life
Carefully the pieces are sorted
Some have edges that are easy to fit
Others seem cut
h
a
z a r
p h a d
l
y
Making it difficult to discover their destination
And yet . . .
They are all a part of the final picture
There is a purpose for the design
Patiently you continue
Until it becomes obvious
Why the pieces
Were given their assigned shapes
The completed picture testifies of their importance
Their absence leaves a void unfilled
Their presence lends a sense of unity
Stepping back . . .
We realize we’re ready
For the next challenge—
May we remember the lessons of the one before.
Cheri J. Crane
So the good news is, I’m back. (I guess
we consider that good news.) ;) I’ve learned a lot the past few months and
while it was not my idea of a fun time, I do see the wisdom in taking time to
sort through the pieces of our lives when our mortal journey hits the fan. Life
is so crazy/busy these days that sometimes we don’t realize how important that
process is, especially when we’re dealing with heart wounds.
One last thought: our Savior truly does
understand the pain we endure in this life. He knows what is the best thing to
help us heal if we will only swallow our pride, and turn to Him. This holiday
season, we tend to reflect more upon His life and all that He willingly did for
us. We give gifts to each other to emulate the gifts given to the Savior upon
His birth. What a wonderful thing if we will strive to give a gift to the
Savior during this Christmas season. Whatever we give is strictly up to us—whether
it’s a pledge to do better—be kinder—more forgiving—etc. I don’t think it
matters as long we do so with real intent and do our best to pay tribute to His
life and His willingness to sacrifice all things on our behalf.
