Wisdom from Our Addra

(Essentially I copied this from where I originally posted it on Facebook.)

Okay, this is partially a braggy post about how great my 9yo is. But it’s also partially a really great bit of wisdom (from her). So if you want to skip the braggy bit, just go down and read the last three paragraphs. You’ll be glad you did.

In our church, members of the congregation are asked to speak on various topics (we don’t have paid clergy who preach every week). Our family was asked to speak this week—whoever we wanted from the family. So we went home and discussed it and decided that Brice, the 12yo, and I would speak. The 9yo at that time didn’t feel like she wanted to.

Fast forward to this morning, sitting in church before the meeting started, and the 9yo leaned over and said, “Who’s speaking?”

I told her and then ask, “Did you want to speak?” I fully expected her to say no.

She kind of nodded and said, “Maybe.”

So we figured we could give her the space to do it. She tried her talk on Brice while we were sitting there, and then when the time came, she just went right up and gave that talk. No prompting or help from us, except for one small comment from Brice before she did it. And her talk was beautiful and sweet and just perfect coming from her.

I am in awe of this child sometimes. I don’t understand her half the time; she is a mystery—the way her mind works, the things she thinks about, the way she sees the world. But sometimes she pulls back the curtain a bit, and I get to see the incredible soul that she is inside, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m grateful that our Heavenly Parents entrusted her to our family, because she’s something pretty special.

And now for the talk (this is obviously just my basic summary, not word-for-word). She went up and talked about a time recently when she took a bunch of little scraps of fabric from our fabric bin and she put them together and made them into something that brought her happiness and that she has been able to enjoy and play with. She could have just cut the scrap fabric up, and that would have been fun and she would have been happy, but then a few minutes later it wouldn’t matter at all. She encouraged and invited the congregation to use our scraps of time in doing things that will bring long-term happiness into our lives.

She said that you could just eat a piece of chocolate cake sitting out on the counter and you would be happy about it for a few minutes, but it wouldn’t matter for very long. Or you could spend that time cooking something that you could then share with a neighbor, and it would make you happy and that happiness would last for longer.

So, my friends, use your scraps of time in things that will bring you and those around you some long-lasting happiness. Wisdom brought to you by my daughter, who made this doll with her scraps of fabric. (I'll add a photo when I have it.)