Thank You for Teaching Me Beautiful Things

I made it a little more than obvious that I am emotionally struggling in my last blog post.  Just a day later, I was trying ever so hard to be happy.  It was exhausting.  I was co-teaching a dozen or so little beginning ballet students and they somehow knew how to make me feel inadequate at what I was doing.  Then, with just 10 minutes left in the class, a little dancer who is struggling in learning ballet came up and gave me a huge hug around my hips, smiled up at me and said, "Thank you for teaching me beautiful things, Miss Mackenzie!"

As the week continued, I kept thinking of that sweet little face and sincere, unprompted comment.  Even amidst the high level of emotional dysfunction I experienced this week, I couldn't let this image go.  Today I spent 3 hours at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children.  As I walked out to my car in the warm 70 degree sunlight, I was beaming.  A long, hard 2 weeks had ended with a perfect close.  I hadn't even noticed it until it was almost too late.  I opened my car door and, instead of collapsing on the steering wheel, I held my head high and my shoulders back.  My mind turned to heaven.  I thanked my Heavenly Father for His goodness and mercy.  I thanked Him most of all for teaching me beautiful things.  

Through the heartache and depression and doubts, I have grown closer to my mother.  I have leaned on friends--friends that I know will always be there throughout my life.  I have learned how to get my needs met, specifically how to ask for support and love and help.  I have seen that thoughts are thoughts; actions are actions.  They are not one in the same.  

The late Prophet of my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley said, "The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served."

I am grateful for the speed at which information can be shared in this day and age.  I saw this video pop up on facebook from one of my friends.  I love it.  It is perfect.

Considering the frequency at which individual discouragement comes, it can be easy to forget all that is beautiful and good.  We cannot let this happen.  Focus on the light, no matter how small, focus on the light.   Focusing on eliminating the darkness will only give power to it.  Work on increasing the light.  Losing yourself in service to another is one way to do so, until eventually there is enough light to provide life and hope.  Trust me.  I've lived through this time and time again.  Light will always outgrow the darkness if you cultivate and nurture it.