Monday, March 1, 2010

After thought...

After hitting "publish post" on the post below I realized there were a few more things on my mind that I really wanted to blog about. So here goes.

Yesterday (Sunday) I had my first re-debut teaching sharing time in primary. It was surprisingly rocky. I couldn’t articulate the directions very well and my three month-old started crying while in the arms of a pregnant friend. My “mommy-senses” started tingling and I knew she had pooed out of her diaper and needed a nurse…badly… I soldiered on, blundering through the story of Christ’s resurrection all while sweating like a winter Olympian.

When my first sharing time was over I took Adell for a change and feed before my next sharing time started. While nursing my sweet baby and slightly bemoaning my crappy teaching skills I listened to the announcements from the other ward over the buildings speaker system. Whoever was conducting announced “with sadness” that a woman I had known a few years ago had lost her battle with bone cancer.

Mind you, I did not know this woman really well. We were acquaintances. We hung out at the courtyard a few times and chatted about being Moms. I ran into her at mutual friend’s baby showers and holiday parties. After her husband graduated from Stanford I did not make any effort to keep in touch. None the less, I knew her. I watched as our children played together and I followed her family blog for the last few years. She is about my age and has three children a little younger than my oldest three. Hearing about her passing was sorrowfully sobering. Unable to properly digest the information right then, I scooped up my sleeping baby and headed back into primary for round two of poor sharing time teaching. Of course, the children were singing about the Savior and his love for them. Of course, they were signing with sign language “I feel His love…” it was too much.

When I got home I looked over the blog of the woman who had passed away. I cried until my eyes were stinging with the loss of moisture, my throat was sore and my lungs hurt. I used up about a thousand tissues. I needed a nap. I should have taken one because last night Adell was up every hour. But I am not complaining. I will take a life-time of interrupted sleep alive and with my family over the alternative. So do me a favor, go find your spouse and kids and give them a big hug. That is what I am going to do.

4 comments:

SuzanneF said...

I needed that. Thank you. It always surprises me to remember that we're so far away. You're such a great friend.

Brad and Rebecca said...

oh Cassie. great (and sad) post. That is tough news, even if it isn't a "best" friend. xoxo

Mandyloo said...

I'm sure I would have felt and acted the same way. Even though it isn't a close friend, death isn't easy to hear about. It definitely makes us appreciate what we have a little more than we did before. Thanks for sharing that! Hopefully sharing time gets easier. I can't believe you got that calling so soon after having a new baby. I am sure you were great!

Anne said...

You and I have lived the same life this week. I was in sacrament meeting when they made the announcement. I bore my testimony that day about how sad it made me feel and how it also made me feel so very grateful for the chance to serve my children. I too did my sharing time (my first) and felt like a fish out of water. Came home, read Catie's blog and wept like a baby. She will be missed. I love you Cassie