Trials and smiles

There have been a few trials that have gone on in my extended family and the joke going around when someone needs advice on a trying situation is, "Call Rachael, she's been through it," or "Call Rachael, she'll know what to do," or even "Call Rachael, she'll understand why this trial is so hard and will make you feel better when you hear about hers."

Ha!

It really is quite funny.

I guess my trials are good for something huh?

It's OK, though. I really am glad that I have been able to help people in their time of need.

Sometimes I get down and say things like, "Why me?" or "Really, is God kidding right now?" and "Well, if something bad is gonna happen, it will happen to me..."

I hope more than anything, though, that others come to me for advice not just because of the many trials I have endured but that they come to me because I survived it and survived it with flair! (I love flair, flair is fun!)

During all the mayhem of the holidays, Brother's birthday didn't really make a big appearance on the blog.

I did want to share with you though a little note that his Sunday school teacher gave him, but before that I will flash back quickly to say that I was so nervous that Brother would be too much for his teacher and would take away the spirit of her lessons. Little did I know that she was more than prepared for the challenge and became one of the single most inspirational factors in Brother's life this past year.

This is what she wrote on a gift tag for his birthday:

14 Amazing Things About [Brother]

1-He is everybody's favorite person in the whole class
2-He ALWAYS has a bright smile on his face that lights up the room
3- He makes people feel loved and is a good example to those around him
4- He loves the violin!
5- He has a great sense of humor
6- He is very polite and quite the gentleman
7- He is handsome
8- He treats everyone with respect
9- He listens carefully to all of the lessons
10- He is a great big brother
11- It is so easy to feel comfortable around him and he is a great friend
12- He makes goals to read the scriptures
13- His purity invites the spirit to our class
14- He is a righteous and loved son of our Heavenly Father

Now, that made me cry when I read it the first time. She knows him so well, better than I thought he let others besides family know. Really, all the worry I had about him and how he would behave in class was diminished when I saw what a blessing it was to have Brother in her class.

I have been worried these last few days as I knew that the end of Brother's semester at school was coming and didn't know how well he would do with class changes and getting new peer tutors. He just has so much anxiety and having to change the peers he has been working with were finally familiar enough to him. Now to change classes AND peer tutors... I tried not to think about it.

Yesterday was the day of the new peer tutors...

I got a call from his teacher, Mrs. S, and I immediately braced myself for the words, "He really struggled today, " or "he was so disrespectful to his new peer tutor today."

...

But instead I heard his praises! She wanted to call and tell me how accepting and social he was with his new peer tutors and how he even asked them questions and talked to them!

What!!!???

That was very out of character for Brother. I loved to hear it!

Then I thought about Gracie and how she comes over several times to spend time with Brother playing games and talking. I really think he has learned a lot from her. All this time I was so worried it was a burden to hang out with him, although she never acts like it.

So I sent her a text thanking her for making such a difference in his life...

This was her reply, "Oh good!! I'm glad!:) I made him primes me he would be awesome for his new peer tutors and he said I will if you promise me something. And I said, okay what? And he said do good in school [Gracie] okay? Hahah he's so cute. :)"

I cannot really find the words to explain how I felt after reading that but I am sure you know it was all good feelings!

That's what it is everybody!

We all have trials! But, are we looking for the blessings that happen during, before or after the trials.

I'm glad I can be the "Poster Child" of a woman with trials to some people in my life so they can turn to me for advice during adversity. I just hope they get something good out of it just the way I do. And I promise, there is always good. I think it just takes a while to see it sometimes.

(knock on wood)