a lesson from Sister Hinckley- kinda personal

A few days ago something happened that left me agitated and fighting with negative thoughts. Those thoughts percolated and grew. I ended up thinking how sometimes, by my lack of being thin or fashionable or knowing what to do with my hair, I'm sure I disappoint my kids when we are in public. Compared to other women, I do not seem to shine. Please understand I don't tell you this in any way of fishing for compliments. It is what it is, and in such mindsets it won't matter what people say, the inner Connie is very stubborn with her opinions- I really am right all the time actually.

With that gray cloud over my shoulder, I started a new day, and as usual did a few batches of family search indexing. As I transcribed the information, I turned on a local radio program on the computer. I listened to the host with just half an ear as I did my morning hobby. He started talking about a gal in Orem who was in trouble with the law. She was a neighborhood favorite mom, but had been accused of misconduct with minors. When the host said her name, I knew who he was talking about. I knew this gal when she was a teenager, knew more of her then really knew her. I'd seen her at the store in the last couple of years and had chatted a bit. She has had her own heartaches and I am in no way convicting her of what she has been accused of, but knowing that she had this run in became a topic with my sisters while we were quilting. My parents and sisters know this gal too.

Then one of my sisters said something that turned the light on in my head and started to clear the gray cloud that had been hovering. She said how embarrassing this event, or suspicion of events, had embarrassed this lady's kids. My mind whispered to me, "there are a lot worse things then being frumpy".

I later had to download to my sister Krista all that I had been thinking. Like the University graduate that she is, a BYU graduate, she said "ya know, sister Hinckleys daughter said something like that'. The story was related to me, from Krista, that back in the day one of Sister Hinckleys girls was in high school, or jr high and some of the moms were coming to the school. As the daughter sat waiting for her mom she saw other moms walking in. Some of the moms were all dolled up, dressed up and had great hair. When Sister Hinckley walked in she was dressed nicely, but not overly fashionable. Her daughter remembers thinking that her mom was a real mom, not a mom trying to compete with the teenagers, or in anyway portray an image she was not.
Though I will still desire things as far as thinness and fashion that might not ever come to me, I was so comforted by Sister Hinckleys example and the in site of her good daughter, and the willingness of my own sisters to help me refocus.

I do hope my own kids are as deep thinkers as the Hinckley girl was 8)