Perspective

By Stacy Johnson


Fall 2007: My baby was in preschool three mornings a week and I was gearing up to apply to get back in to ASU when she went to all day kindergarten the next fall. I finally had some time to myself to actually start writing. I got started writing for The Beehive newspaper and I was loving it! I was actually bringing things to my ANWA meetings and sharing! I was able to coach on the track team at the high school, I was volunteering in the kids classrooms at school without the worry of having to find a babysitter, and having been the RS President in my ward for 2 years, I had to assume that calling couldn’t last much longer. Things were going exactly the way I wanted them to go. I was finally going to start living MY life.

Summer and Fall 2008: I’ll admit, there was some resentment there as soon as she arrived. It all came rushing back; all the loneliness I use to feel with having a baby attached to my bosom for constant nourishment, the late nights, the diapers, doing everything one handed, many of you know the drill. To top it all off, I thought I was Super Mom and could do it all. She was born in June and I started school in September – full time. Fortunately, the Bishop had told me in August, that he would be releasing me. I just wish it wouldn’t have taken him until late October to get it done! Let’s just say there was very little joy in my life at that moment. I wasn’t getting much of any writing done, my house was a disaster, and I was just cranky all the time.

Yesterday: One of the young women leaders called me yesterday and asked me if I could talk to the girls next Sunday about finding Joy In Womanhood. Yeah, right. As if. I almost told her no, then I decided to think about it. As I have spent the last 24 hours or so considering the joy in my life, I am making a choice to look at it from a different angle, a joyous angle.

Today: How joyful am I that Heavenly Father has trusted me with the lives of seven sweet spirits? How can I not be joyful in these economic times, that my husband has a good job that allows me to stay home AND go to school. My joy is overflowing in the fact that I have the talent of writing and so many opportunities to use it. I have seven mouths that need lunch before they leave every morning, and I groan the fact that I go through about 7 loaves a week, but guess what? I can make bread! Isn’t it fabulous? I forgot how much joy I have, that is just the tip of the iceberg. My personal blog will have a more complete list this afternoon. Today, that old Joy School song is going through my head, “Oh, Boy!, I’ve got joy. I do, do you?”