Smile Through the Pain

Mom, thanks. 

As I was thinking of the single most important thing you taught me, I kept thinking of the way you taught me to smile through the pain. You taught me this mostly by your example, but sometimes you used words, although I really don't know that you had specific intentions of teaching me at the time. You were just being you.

One day I was telling you about an answer I received to something I had been praying about for nearly six years. The answer was in absolute contradiction to what I had wanted all along. When I told you what a hard time I was having with going forward, you said, "If that's the answer you got, then you don't complain about it, you just do it." Wow, Mom! Your faith is amazing. You understand that part of trusting in God is being cheerful about following His will.

Another time, when you were single, I was having a hard time feeling like I didn't fit in. I remember feeling so very sad. We sat on the edge of your bed as you intently listened to my concerns. When I had said enough, but just wanted to be near you, you pulled out a Sear's catalog and we dreamed of what my room could look like someday. We didn't have the money to buy anything to decorate my room with, but that didn't matter. The problems didn't go away any time soon, but I learned that thinking of happier things helps one feel better. I also felt the power of your love. 

Mostly, I learned to smile through the pain by watching you. No matter what the problem, you could find some way of working through it- mostly by doing just that, working. Your hard work showed me that no problem gets better by whining about it. You would just pull out a shovel and try to fix it. Whether you look at the checkbook and see there is no money left so you choose to babysit 13 children while home-schooling your own and running a business out of your home, or whether you need room for six more people to sleep so you put up walls and build a new bedroom, you find a way with absolutely no complaining.

Mom, this has been of great value to me throughout my life. Being cheerful brings me closer to my family and friends, but also closer to God. I can feel His love for me more as I search for the blessings in my life. I could never thank you enough for teaching me to smile through the pain.