“I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates of heaven in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut better on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.”
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut better on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden.
I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.”
A few weeks ago we had a lesson in relief society (an hour of church with just the women 18 years and older) and in that lesson that quote was read to us. I fell in love with it as it was read aloud and knew i had to put it on my blog and share with the rest of you. The person described above is just how i want to be. This person is not too busy cleaning, making her house, yard, car, body perfect, this person is not too busy watching t.v. or movies or going shopping for frivilous items. This person is not too busy being so into herself that she lets the most important things in life slip away because "i didn't have the time" or "i was so busy i forgot" etc. I really do want people to know and use me as a reliable source for whatever help they need and whenever that need arises-needless to say i never want to lose my back bone and let people walk all over me-but at the end of the day, week, month, year, life i want a lot of my memories to be of me doing things for others, and helping to improve others' situations not just memories of the things "i want" in life. Of course spending time on one's self is perfectly okay and greatly needed, i just hope to keep it all in balance and if the balance ever sways i hope it sways to the side where i might neglect myself a little too much instead of me being selfish. Anyway, i'm having trouble saying what this quote actually means to me, but i hope you all understand basically what i'm putting down and i hope that you each enjoy it too!
I think you said it great...I hope to be that kind of person too! What a great quote!
ReplyDeleteI love this quote and I love Sis. Hinckley. I have a lovely book that she wrote that I love to read over and over. This reminds me of Elder Uctdorf's article in the Ensign this month where he says that if you are too busy with your life to serve others, than you are just TOO busy. It makes me wonder what non-important things are making me too busy to lend a hand. Very inspirational Jessica!
ReplyDeletei understand completely! i love it!
ReplyDeleteYou've helped me plenty of times- in the last few months especially, so thank you! You are doing a good job. Thanks for sharing the quote and your feelings. I didn't get to hear all of that lesson because I was nursing Nathan, but the few minutes I heard were great so thanks for filling in a little of what I missed!
ReplyDeleteJess, you're too funny.
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you mean - and I'm right there with ya.
Thanks for sharing such a great quote.
Shanan
(wow - it took me almost 15 times to post this comment ... so if this same comment shows up another 14 times, I'm so sorry!) :D Ha!
Love it... and you are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteLoved the quote! Thanks for sharing. I want to be that person too!
ReplyDeleteyou couldn't have said it better! this really helped me! :] been having a tuff time lately so this def put me back in my place. what are sisters for huh!?! lol. love ya girl... and from my perspective your doing a wonderful job at life! :D
ReplyDeleteYou are so cute!!. What a blessing lessons can have on us and say just what we need at the moment. I also struggle to be my best everyday. Thank you for sharing this wonderful quote and what it means to you!!.
ReplyDeleteI love this post and I totally agree, I would love to be that person as well and need to strive much much more to become more of that friend and mommy and wife! I appreciate this post and the perspecitve it gives!
ReplyDeleteSo I just realized you said you needed my email for that picture. haha Somehow I missed that ! megan.nadalet at gmail dot com
ReplyDeletePs that is a cool quote!