Floating on the talents of others

My super talented friend who made this…

plus I have to have Bennett in this post too!

She taught me about ARK Acts of Random Kindness. Usually during the month of April we tell the story of Noah’s Ark and talk about how serving others helps us build our protection when life’s storms come. Well with conference this year the Noah of our day (Thomas S. Monson) quoted the 13th article of Faith and our goal to have a stronger testimony of him, would we get on the boat with him? Our family decided to SEEK after things that would be PRAISEWORTHY or Of GOOD REPORT. 2 by 2 we gathered our ideas and brought them to the ARK. We did after school treats for a friend, made dinner for friends, helped someone with car troubles, we picked up litter etc. Heath’s favorite was putting quarters in vending machines, he is still taking spare quarters with him everywhere! When we got in the car he said “we just made one little boy so happy”. I think he was as happy as a very surprised kid will be.

trash clean up

We had root beer floats for our FHE treat to end the month of April. I feel like it is everything we can do to keep our heads above water right now with everything. We have been making plans for so many Summer events. When I let 2 people in from the parking lot at the pickup line at school and Heath said “mom that was a good report”. Little random moments are the ones I enjoy the most. No matter how busy, poor, stressed etc. we are we can still Seek after the good things in life.

The School held talent show tryouts. Rianne and a group of friends were going to do a dance but the girl thing happened and feelings were hurt, Rianne will avoid contention at all cost so she came home and said, "I want to be in the talent show but I don’t want to deal with all this, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but what can I do by myself." I suggested reading a book (monologue) So she tried out using the book Hip Hip Hooray for Annie McRae. She did a great job.

Rianne is a self-assured kid so we were a little surprised when Heath wanted to try out too. I don’t mean to be a mean mom but Heath is more like me lacking your typical talents that get displayed in a talent show, I thought what is he going to do? Argue, pretend to be a Spy? He decided he would do dribbling a basketball he can go between his legs and so he practiced. Rianne showed no fear in preforming at tryouts Heath on the other hand was very nervous and only dribbled a few times and afterwards blamed his nerves on something else like the fact that they called him Keith.

I was supportive but I admit Raising a kid who is so much like me is really hard. Well the good and surprising to me news is they both made it.  Rianne still favored us with a dance made us tickets and everything. She is one sure of herself girl.

My kids have athletic talent. They participated in the track team’s fundraiser kid track meet. Rianne earned a few ribbons.

 Heath did not, he is a competitive kid, the kind that if he isn’t going to win he doesn’t want to play. The first track meet with age groups 6-10 he was racing against bigger, faster more talented boys and once he realized he wasn’t going to win he just jogged to the end.

We talked about how it isn’t important what everyone else is doing, it is about doing our best no matter what. He did better at doing his best at the second one, but again the excuses or blaming (I’m sure not having a snow cone did affect his performance, SHEEESH).

So then it has made me think a little deeper and it is not that he is competitive as much as play not to lose not really playing to win. It's a fear of failure situation. Did I mention he is like me so this is hitting a little too close to my heart. So all my holding back because it won’t really turn out right is staring me in the face. On my knees in prayer for this little boy came a prompting. I don’t know what each day will bring but I need to do my best with it and with God my best will be enough. I’m going to express gratitude for Heath’s efforts in doing his best even if he isn’t THE best at something. I have a talent for surrounding myself with very talented people. I tend to float through using their talents because they can do it better anyway. Well they can, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do it. I may never be the BEST at anything but just because someone is more talented doesn’t mean I’m not good. I need to jump back into life and do my best, It takes faith to get out of the boat!