Thursday, March 17, 2011

True Beauty

 "I love you Mom."  She called as I left the room and turned out the hall lights.  She was drawing a seascape a sunset, trying to capture her definition of "true beauty." 
"I love you too honey."  I called back as I curved up the winding staircase. 
The day did NOT start like this.  Jodi called me at 8:40 a.m. and found me breathing hard.  Aspergers has hit hard lately in our home and it hit particularly hard this morning.  All residents of the upstairs were wakened by screaming attacks and frustration.  It escalated till time for school.  My brave husband offered to be my knight in shining armor by driving carpool.  He hoped  to stem the flood of anger and emotion.  We are scheduled to attend a conference on parenting at risk children tomorrow... but it can't come too soon.

"Oh dear."  Jodi sympathizes.  "That poor little one must have so much trauma going on inside her head."  I agreed but secretly thought I had more sympathy for the poor mom.  Not content to leave us in this situation, Jodi called back in the afternoon.  "I'm speaking in Bountiful tonight.  Why don't you and Ladybug join me for the drive and dinner and we'll all have a special night together."

We enjoyed a nice drive together.  We ate a delicious dinner.  Jodi gave a fabulous presentation on virtue and true beauty.  Virtue defined by President Hinkley is seeking out the good, and avoiding the bad.  True beauty is virtue.  She invited Ladybug up to the front and made her part of the presentation.  Ladybug answered a few questions then sat down.  After many slices of homemade chocolate cake we drove home.  I asked Ladybug about her favorite part of the evening.  "Going up to the front with Jodi."  she replied.

Jodi dropped us off and gave Ladybug a plaque she had made about true beauty.  "Thank you so much for being my special visitor!  It meant so much that you would come with me."  Bug smiled and happily tromped into the house and WILLINGLY down to bed.

As I wash my face and think about the day and about Jodi's message... I want to paint my own picture of virtue or "true beauty."  My dear friend found me in pain.  She recognized my daughter lives in pain.  Without concern about what others would think or how it would fit into her presentation, she offered my daughter and I a pre-built date to soothe our ruffled feathers as we spent time together.  She further pulled Ladybug up in front of 100 others and used her as an example of virtue  in a troubled world... She built her soul, her self esteem, her happy feelings.  If that weren't enough, she brought her a special memento.  According to Jodi, virtue includes, "compassion, reverence for motherhood, righteous influence, sympathy, and good works.  Jodi asked Ladybug to draw her a picture of true beauty.

Add caption
This post is my picture.  True beauty called me at 8:40 this morning.  True beauty picked me up at 5:20.  True beauty spoke to a group of women all night after they had spent the afternoon volunteering at the House of Hope.  True beauty ate chocolate cake with me and my daughter while sporting a headache from much serving.  True beauty then offered to take my children tomorrow as I attend the conference on emotionally disturbed children.  True Beauty drives a white mini van with cookie sheets that slide from the the back to the front since she has not had time to remove them since serving them to the addiction recovery women.  Virtue in action. 

 

4 comments:

  1. We read of your thoughts, desires and aspirations and we see true beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. true true!
    I agree with lakeside - I see true beauty between all these words, amid the spaces . . . I see true beauty as I talk to my sister over the phone, or as I read of exciting experiences-or thought provoking ones-even the painful and sad ones. I see true beauty in the way your family AND FRIENDS love you and would do anything for you!
    I love you and the inspiration you are!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ..."I agreed but secretly thought I had more sympathy for the poor mom. "

    :) You truly beautiful poor mom. :)

    Because of you two, I don't think Ladybug will ever be as much 'at risk' as it must feel some days. She is growing. It's part here in 5 flavors. Heaven loves you, to send you such soul moisturizing wrinkle-making ice cream beauty treatments for your face.

    (P.S. I go to our church's addiction recovery meetings. I learned,changed, am changing, and love how they present the atonement and scriptures that come to be more personal to me. Don't know if it's similar, but "as an addict" :) Yep. I am. I sin repeatedly and without Him I can't control it!:) I'm glad they have you, to share with them.)

    ReplyDelete