September 6, 2008

Don't Quit

Just wanted to share a great and inspiring poem I heard tonight while I was at Stake Conference.


Don't Quit

by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
when the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
when the funds are low and the debts are high,
and you want to smile but you have to sigh,
when care is pressing you down a bit -
rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about
when he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow –
you may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
it seems to a faint and faltering man;
often the struggler has given up
when he might have captured the victor's cup;
and he learned too late when the night came down,
how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out –
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
and when you never can tell how close you are,
it may be near when it seems afar;
so stick to the fight when you're hardest hit –
it's when things seem worst, you must not quit.

September 4, 2008

To Do lists

I'm a list maker. I love lists. Each morning I make a To Do list for the day. Here's mine from today:

1.Go grocery shopping
2.Find wedding negatives
3.Finish cleaning dining room
4.Sweep front porch
5.Clean cobwebs in entry
6.Clean corner in family room
7.Go to library
8.Finish creative cooking entries
9.Make phone calls to coordinate meals for Sister ______
10.Load Reader Rabbit for Ben

It's only 10 things. No biggie.
Well, at 10:30 tonight I was frustrated, disappointed, depressed, and exhausted. I looked at my list and realized I had crossed out very few of my To Do items. So I decided to make a new list. This time I wrote down all the things I DID do today.

1.Go walking
2.Pack kids lunches
3.Help get kids ready and off to school
4.Go to bank
5.Go grocery shopping
6.Go on a walk with the boys
7.Oil change at jiffy lube
8.Lunch with Kevin and boys
9.Vacuum front room and family room
10.Storytime with Ben
11.Wash, fold, and put away sheets
12.Put clean sheets on beds
13.Wash and dry load of kids clothes
14.Wash and dry load of gentles
15.Wash towels
16.Water flowers
17.Take care of David’s bee sting
18.Change diapers – ongoing
19.Shower and get ready
20.Make phone calls to coordinate meals for Sister ______
21.Help with kids’ homework
22.Help kids with their jobs
23.Make pizza for dinner
24.Unload and load dishwasher
25.Help coach Ben’s soccer game
26.Bathe kids
27.Read scriptures and have family prayers
28.Help pick out kids clothes for tomorrow

I at least feel justified in feeling exhausted, but it doesn't take away the disappointment in not accomplishing the things I had intended. It would seem as though I enjoy setting myself up for frustration and depression.
You would think that by now I would have gotten used to this scenario and reevaluated my To Do list. Maybe I'll put that on tomorrow's To Do list.