If you want to be happy, SMILE... even if you have wonky teeth!

A few years ago, I made up a cute poster and post titled, "If you want to be happy, then Smile."  I thought about this just today and revisited that poster, and I wanted to add a little dialogue to it.

There are a lot of reasons why people don't smile. My own husband, as he aged, didn't want his teeth to show, because they had begun cracking and chipping, and he didn't like to show them.  When he'd smile, it would look like a half hearted effort to smile, with a closed mouth. I missed his smile, and I realized he was hiding his teeth.  I could commiserate with him because all while I was growing up, especially during Junior High and High School, I would do my best to smile and hide my very crooked teeth.

I had a very wonky tooth, and it was right in the middle of my mouth.  My parents were of humble means and couldn't provide braces on my teeth for me, so I did all I could to not show them.  I remember in my older years in grade school, a friend and neighbor of mine, got braces on her teeth.  Then another got braces on her teeth, yet I needed them more than both of them put together, and never got them.  I remember at times pretending I had braces, by twisting a wire paper clip into the arch shape of braces, and putting it in my mouth, pretending I had braces.  This is how badly I wanted and needed them.

When I got into Junior High, I was pretty shy, but eventually I got over that shyness, and nobody seemed to be focused on my crooked teeth but me.  Then High School came, and I tried out for Cheerleader and made it, and nobody said a word to me about my crooked and wonky tooth.  I still figured out a way to smile, without my teeth showing to the point that my crooked tooth wasn't noticeable.  I smiled that way in all my class photos, and all was well until my mother entered me into the Miss Teenage Utah Pageant. I just knew that I would be judged negatively for my crooked teeth, so I spent hours and hours practicing how to smile, looking head on, turning my head to the side and worked hard at disguising the fact that I had a very wonky tooth.  All went well the
days of the pageant, until about 10 minutes before I was to go into my judges interview.  I was ready, until one girl came up to me and asked me why I never got braces.  She said that she got them when she was younger, and it really helped and her teeth were much more wonky than mine.  She went on and on, totally destroying the confidence and good energy I had built up, about being in front of the judges, and ran into the bathroom to have a good cry.  It only took her few thoughtless words to destroy my confidence.   I knew I should have had braces and would have had so much more confidence in myself, if I felt my smile looked better.

I guess fate played a dirty trick on the girl who made me cry, because she didn't even place in the Miss Teenage Utah contest, but I did.  I won first runner up to Miss Teenage Utah, and First runner up in the Speech contest... "What's right with America".  You should have seen my dad's face when it was only myself and the queen, standing up in front of the spectators and supporters.  He said he didn't know how in the world he and Mom would make it to the Miss Teenager USA in Georgia, if I had won. I came home with a trophy almost as tall as myself and I have to say that this gave me a confidence boost. I did enter a couple other contests, and consistently won 1st runner up.

Two of the contests, I was given a copy of the Judging sheets, and I will never forget what I read from one of the Judges.  He said, "If she had straight teeth, she would have been queen." Another contest, the comments were..."Teeth need straightening, but only two more votes would have made her queen.  I knew it was true, but I had no control of getting my wonky teeth fixed.  My hopes were that one day, I would get my teeth fixed, and would live happily ever after.

Some years later, I met and married the man of my dreams, my Prince Charming, and my knight in shinning armor.  A few years later, he told me that I should make an appointment with the orthodontist for braces for my teeth.  You'd think I had won the lottery, and he knew how much it meant to me to get my teeth fixed, even though he loved me in spite of them.  I got braces, as a married woman, when I had several children.  I had to wear them for about 5 years, but I wore them proudly, as a badge of honor and was so happy when it was finally time to take them off.

One of the first things I realized was that I could smile a full smile, and not have to cover up my teeth.  I also realized that it was a big sacrifice for my husband to make so I could rebuild my own self esteem.  I also realized that beauty is only skin deep, and instead of focusing on what got me to win 3 contests, my inner beauty was what was being judged and not my teeth.

Now to wrap this up.... and back to the beginning of my story, my dear husband had much more issues with his worn out teeth.  He'd joke and say his teeth were horse teeth, and through he joked, I knew he was disguising how he really felt, because I had been there, and done that.  It was time, and he needed to smile a big smile and feel good about himself too.  We made an appointment  and to make a longer story shorter, he got 12 of this teeth crowned, and they look great.  He feels so much better about himself too, and I have noticed a definite change in him.  She smiles a whole lot more.

It wasn't just about teeth in both of these stories.  Both of us overlooked the imperfections in each other and loved each other, no matter how wonky or worn our teeth were.  This made our love grow even stronger, because we each put a smile on the others face, one that wasn't disguised, but a big toothy smile. 

If you want to be happy, learn and study your Ancestry.

Today is the day that Utah, USA celebrates the day the Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley and their leader, Brigham Young, said that this was the place that they should settle and live.  So they did, and since then, July 24th has been celebrated as Pioneer day. 

I have been pondering for several days prior to this celebration, my own Pioneer heritage.  I have many men and women ancestors who traveled by handcart and wagon, as well as walked, to get to Utah to settle.  I have been studying their lives and the stories that have been shared by them or others, about the difficulty that they experienced on their arduous journey.

One of my Ancestors was near 60 years of age, and on her own, she walked almost the entire distance to Utah, across the dusty plains.  One story of her was told that she was badly bitten by a rattlesnake on her lower leg.  She had the forethought to wrap a her leg tightly to prevent the snake venom from traveling to the other parts of her body.  When the leaders of the wagon train reached her, one was able to cut open her leg, and remove as much venom as possible, and she had to ride in a wagon thereafter while she healed.  Her 60 year old friend, who took the journey with her, and walked beside her, went to see her friend in the wagon, and somehow fell, and the heavy wagon rolled over her hips.  One Pioneer man was able to pull her from the back set of wheels, however not soon enough as the wagon wheel rolled over her ankle and crushed it.  Miraculously, no bones were broken, though she too had to ride in a wagon until she healed.  It wasn't long and both women were back walking the rest of the way on their journey to Utah. 

This is just one of the many stories I have in my family history, that amaze me on the fortitude and strength of my ancestors.  Can you imagine a snake bite, being run over twice by a heavy wagon, and of starvation and death, and so many more challenges these Pioneers faced and experienced, yet they still remained faithful and moved forward. Imagine even further, having to till the soil, and plant and water all the crops to sustain yourself throughout the winter, doing it all from scratch, including the harvesting, and all the preparation for cooking on a campfire, or living in a home made from what is available.  Then to consider keeping warm in the winter without insulation, furnace and keeping cool in the scorching summer heat without air conditioning... well all I can say is that I am so grateful to be living in this day and age that these comforts of life are available and for some, an afterthought.

Moving forward when difficulties and obsticles block our progress, seem to stack up and bring down our spirits, it would be easy to lose faith, or to fall into a deap depression.  For some who are troubled or hearts and spirits are aching, turn to drugs and alcohol.  I wonder in these times for the Pioneers, what did they turn to?

Thoughts of leaving a child, wrapped only in a blanket because the ground was too frozen to bury, or waking up one morning to see your beloved spouse had passed on, how in the world could you think of moving forward.... bit they did.  What was it that kept them going, and turning their sorrow to joy and moving forward through all their trials?  I believe it was their faith.  It was faith that they knew that they were sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, and that they knew that their faith would get them through. 

When I personally have a trial, heartache or difficulty given to me, I like my Pioneer Ancestors, look toward God to heal me, to take away my pain and hurt and give me peace to move forward.  I like my Pioneer ancestors am given the strength to move forward, and to make the best and feel blessed for what I am given.  I like , count my blessings, and take courage and have so much gratitude for my ancestors, who suffered so much for me.  I take great pride in what they accomplished and have given me and to others who followed their family lines. 

If you want to be happy, study your Ancestry, and know your heritage.  Learn of the great difficulties your ancestors before you went thought, which should bring you gratitude and love and happiness for their gifts to the future.  We are the future and if you want to be happy, learn and remember, and pass on to your own posterity, the very same kind of character and devotion that they shared with you.

I want to share a few pictures of my own ancestors whom I honor this day. 

   

  

If you want to be happy, you must forgive

This morning, I arose late, and as I walked into the kitchen, there was my husband having breakfast.  He greeted me, and told me he had made me breakfast too, and then said that he had a story to read to me.  I had a feeling I knew what kind of a story he wanted me to hear, because I had been going through a lot recently with family issues, and I had felt torn apart, and very sad by what was happening.  This story was perfect for me, and reminded me of things I already knew, but I needed to be reminded once again. I also knew that this story would help give peace to a family member of mine, who is suffering, broken and in great pain.  

I share this story with you too, because if you want to be happy in your own life, then you too must forgive.  Parts of this story was taken from a talk by James E. Faust and the whole talk can be found at this link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/the-healing-power-of-forgiveness?lang=eng

Story of the Amish Tragedy

"In the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania, a devout group of people, live a simple life without automobiles, electricity, or modern machinery. They work hard and live quiet, peaceful lives separate from the world. Most of their food comes from their own farms. The women sew and knit and weave their clothing, which is modest and plain. They are known as the Amish people.

A 32-year-old milk truck driver lived with his family in their Nickel Mines community. He was not Amish, but his pickup route took him to many Amish dairy farms, where he became known as the quiet milkman. Last October he suddenly lost all reason and control. In his tormented mind he blamed God for the death of his first child and some unsubstantiated memories. He stormed into the Amish school without any provocation, released the boys and adults, and tied up 10 girls. He shot the girls, killing five and wounding five. Then he took his own life.

This shocking violence caused great anguish among the Amish but no anger. There was hurt but no hate. Their forgiveness was immediate. Collectively they began to reach out to the milkman’s suffering family. As the milkman’s family gathered in his home the day after the shootings, an Amish neighbor came over, wrapped his arms around the father of the dead gunman, and said, “We will forgive you.”  Amish leaders visited the milkman’s wife and children to extend their sympathy, their forgiveness, their help, and their love. About half of the mourners at the milkman’s funeral were Amish. In turn, the Amish invited the milkman’s family to attend the funeral services of the girls who had been killed. A remarkable peace settled on the Amish as their faith sustained them during this crisis.

One local resident very eloquently summed up the aftermath of this tragedy when he said, “We were all speaking the same language, and not just English, but a language of caring, a language of community, [and] a language of service, And, a language of forgiveness.”  It was an amazing outpouring of their belief in the Saviors teachings in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

 The family of the milkman who killed the five girls released the following statement to the public:

“To our Amish friends, neighbors, and local community:

“Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you’ve extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you’ve given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.

“Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lost loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives.”

How could the whole Amish group show such an expression of forgiveness? Hearing of this tragedy, many people sent money to the Amish to pay for the health care of the five surviving girls and for the burial expenses of the five who were killed. As a further demonstration of their discipleship, the Amish decided to share some of the money with the widow of the milkman and her three children because they too were victims of this terrible tragedy.

Forgiveness is not always instantaneous as it was with the Amish. When innocent children have been molested or killed, most of us do not think first about forgiveness. Our natural response is anger. We may even feel justified in wanting to “get even” with anyone who inflicts injury on us or our family.

“Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves.”    - Dr. Sidney Simon-

Most of us need time to work through pain and loss.  We can find all kinds of reasons to postpone forgiveness, waiting for the wrongdoer to repent before we forgive them, but delaying causes us to forgo the happiness and peace that could be ours, because we waited.

Some people hold grudges for a lifetime, not realizing that forgiving others who have wronged us is therapeutic and liberating.  Forgiveness enables people to look beyond themselves, and withstand the worst and ugliest of humanity.

If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt or injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being.  Studies show that people who forgive, are “less angry, more hopeful, less depressed, less anxious and less stressed, and understand that forgiveness is a liberating gift that people can give themselves.”

A woman who was going through a painful divorce received some really good advice.  It was to “Keep a place in your heart for forgiveness, and when it comes, welcome it.”

We all need to acknowledge our angry feelings, and realize it will take a great deal of humility to ask God to help us be able to forgive.  It takes even more humility to ask God to forgive ourselves of all those things we did to deserve what we are feeling, as a result of our own past bad behavior or bad choices. Since the Lord requires us to forgive everyone, He knows that this will rid our own lives of the hatred and bitterness that comes through harboring anger.  We cannot be responsible however, if others do not forgive, and sadly their lives will be consumed with anger, guile and bitterness, which certainly takes more effort to keep those feelings going, than to just forgive, move on, and find peace once again. Some people may never forgive, but those who do, will be able to find once again, the happiness that was missing from harboring all those negative feelings.

We all need to remember that if we want to be forgiven, we first must forgive, and let the healing power that comes through forgiveness, set our hearts free.

If you are reading this, I want you to know that as a mother, I have had to forgive like the Amish, my own family members whose choices have hurt me in the past.  Strong words, bad behavior and deeds, could have made my heart hardened and destroyed important relationships with my family.  An old friend once said something that has stayed with me for years.  She said, “God made our shoulders round, so things could roll off them.” The longer we let the boulders of hurt stack up, the more weighted down we become, until ultimately we are so bogged down, we cannot even walk.  As we let them go, and “roll off” one by one, that weight and burden becomes lighter and turns into a liberating force for us, and once again, we can feel peace.  This is the peace that comes from asking for forgiveness for our own mistakes in life we had made, as well as asking for the Lords help to enable us to forgive others. 

If you want to be happy, no let me rephrase that, 'If you want to be truly happy, then you must forgive.  First, Forgive others, and second, ask for forgiveness from God for your own issues.  If you will do this, then you can find peace in your soul, your hardened heart will soften, and you will truly be a happier person.

If you want to be happy you can, even when the lights go out!

Recently, I was in my office at home, and without any notice, wind or weather elements going on outside, the power went out.  The first thought in my mind was... so now what do I do?  My mind instantly began churning, and I remembered all the fun that my kids and I had during cold winter evenings when the power would go out because of the snow or outside elements.  I looked forward to the lights going out, so we could enjoy family time together.

One of the first things that we do when the lights go out is to run to find a flashlight, candles or some other way to bring light into the room.  I knew where the candles and candle holders were, so I was usually the one to get them out, light them, and place them in strategic areas of the house, to help my family see.

A strange phenomenon happened when we were sleeping or almost there, when the lights went out.  Everyone would wake up and say, "What do we do with the lights out?"  If my reply of, "Go back to sleep", didn't excite them, because they were in the dark before the lights went out, it seemed like everyone would instantly go to the light.  So why is it that we have to have light, when the lights are out?  Well I can't answer that for you but I know why my family has always flocked to the light during a power outage..... because it means fun.  I love it in the dark of night, and have made a list of 10 things we have done to be happy during a power outage, or a self imposed power failure.

1.  Light candles!  Who doesn't have fun striking a match and lighting a candle?  For kids, it is one of the few times that a parent will let them light a match so what fun it is to see who gets to strike the match to light the candles.

2.  Roast Marshmallows.  Those lit candles do more than just light the room with a flickering glow.  Those candles, put together in a little cluster make a great option for roasting marshmallows.  Just grab some long bamboo skewers  or even forks work well, and get out the marshmallows.  I remember one time only having mini marshmallows available, so we put 4-5 on the stick and proceeded to roast.  There is just something about roasting marshmallows on a stick that makes them taste like the best treat you have had in a very long time!

3.  Heat up some soup or food for dinner.  Yes you can even do this, though it does require a little more to be creative about the heating process.  Make a buddy burner using a can. Open the can top and set the can up on something that will elevate the can from the flame, and not on top of it so it will go out.  If you empty a can, rince and dry it out, and open the bottom end of a can, you can set it on top of a lit candle to hold your can of soup yet to be heated up from the flame.  If the flame goes out, using a pop top can opening to punch a few holes in the sides of the can, to let some air in.  If you have a contest with the kids as to how to cook over a flame, they can become pretty creative in coming up with a set up to make this possible.  Some kind of a tripod, that will hold the soup can over the flame.  Have some fun and by the time the soup has been heated enough to eat, the lights will probably go back on, but who says they have to stay on?  Turn them back off, and Finnish your fun dinner!    You can even have a side of toast by toasting your bread over a flame. (I should mention that if you have a propane BBQ that has a side cooking unit, you can cook your dinner on that much easier, but probably it won't be as much fun!)

4.  Tell stories!  Cozy up on the sofa with just enough candles on the coffee table to light the room, and tell stories.  Spooky stories seem to lend themselves well to when the lights are out, but with little kids, having the lights out is spooky enough.

5.  Sing songs!  Yes, I did say sing songs!  There is nothing like singing around a campfire at a camp out to make that good feeling come into your heart. So why not sing around the candles, songs of comfort for the little ones, or silly songs for the older ones.  Songs like, My gals a corker, she's a New Yorker...., The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah and I am pretty sure you can come up with the Jello song, and others to make the lights out time together fun.

7.  Plan a family vacation.  Kids for some reason will talk around a fire easier than they do around the table or anything else, so as a family, plan your next family vacation.  Talk, talk, talk, and talk some more about what fun times you can have, things you can do, foods you can eat and bring with
you, whether you drive, take the train or a bus, but let everyone in on the action of planning.

8.  Snack time! Don't you know that snacks taste better in the dark, and what a better time to pull out the snacks you have in your cupboards than when you only have candle light.  Pull out your bingo game, and M & M's or other small candies, and play bingo.  With each bingo, they earn the right to eat their M & M's. Packaged popcorn... yum, yum, pull out your iPad, and find a family movie, and munch on popcorn while you are watching an iPad movie on that tiny little screen.  This means you will all have to cozy up, sitting close, and piling on the blankets to be able to watch it, but close family fun is to be had when the lights are out.

9.  If you happen to be alone, without family or friends around you, you can always make a phone call on your cell phones.  Have a nice chat until your batter runs out.  Don't forget also that your cell phone can turn into a really great flashlight, and that is probably the easiest thing to find to light your way first, until you can find your candles or flashlights.  It sure runs the battery down fast, but when the power is restored, you can always plug it in to charge up again.  (OR - do you have one of those already charged power packs, you can use and have been saving for this very kind of a situation?  Get it out and finally use it!)

10.  Now for my last idea, I have picked something that everyone doesn't get enough of, that would be a wonderful activity to do when the lights go out.  Pretend it is bedtime and go to sleep if it is close to bedtime.  Get some extra Z's and wake refreshed in the morning.  But... if you do want to take advantage of the dark in this way, be sure to turn off the light switches that you had on before the power went out, or you will wake up when the power goes on, to a fully lighted house.  Then try getting back to sleep aftet that!  JK, actually not!

If you want to be happy even during circumstances that are not always perfect, then make them fun by the things you choose to do.  Enjoy life and be happy, no-matter the condition.

If you want 2 be happy: If you want 2 be happy... then give something away...

If you want 2 be happy: If you want 2 be happy... then give something away...: I am so happy today, because I found a wonderful home made recipe for cleaning my windows outside, and it worked so well, and saved a step,...

If you want 2 be happy... then give something away, and I am.

I am so happy today, because I found a wonderful home made recipe for cleaning my windows outside, and it worked so well, and saved a step, and I am so happy.  So I wanted to share this recipe with you and make you happy too.  I found it on Pinterest and included the link to the recipe, and you should go to that link and see how pretty the windows are.  Mine look just like those too.  I have full length windows at my home, and lots of them, and when they aren't clean, it makes my whole room inside look.... just not so clean.  Not today folks, my windows are clean and sparkly and it just makes me smile to see such clean windows.  So here you go, the recipe and link, and I hope that you will be happy too... oh and the best part is you don't have to squeegee the windows, just rinse them with water from your hose, and they have sheeting action and dry beautifully all by themselves.

I did list a little disclaimer, and that is, if you have calcium or hard water deposits on your windows, this won't clean that off.  You will need to do that before you clean your windows, but if you don't have hard water deposits, your windows are in for a sparkling experience, and yes, the satisfaction of having such pretty windows, does make you smile.  BE HAPPY!

Get ready for Easter!

If you are thinking ahead and getting ready for Easter, be one of the first to go to learn what Easter is really about at this link: https://www.mormon.org/easter2015?cid=6610173  It's all about Jesus Christ, and because He Lives, you can live too.  It's all about who He was, and what He did for us. Learn more about why your understanding of Jesus Christ can truly make you happy. And once you understand, you can share!  

Make His way, your way! https://www.mormon.org/easter2015?cid=6610173  Learn about Him, and know him, and be like Him.

Here is a great video I found that will make you happy because it's all about Him, Jesus Christ.  Just don't forget to go to this link too!   https://www.mormon.org/easter2015?cid=6610173