Feeling a Little Sentimental

This was almost 1 year ago. Not sure why I never posted it, so here you go! :)

Don't worry, I will post pictures of the house progress soon enough. (I guess "soon enough" would have been over a week ago). Well, whatever. I just have some feelings that I want to share. Sit down, children. It's feelings time.

Tonight Matt and I saw a play at the Hale Center Theatre, Orem called "Over the River and Through the Woods". It is a story about a guy who has 4 crazy, loud grandparents , and how he finds meaning in his life through their lives. It sounds really cliche, I know, but I, as well as most of the audience, was in tears by the end. I know this comes as no surprise, but it really moved me, and I felt a little silly about it.

I remembered last summer when Matt and I saw Les Miserables, and how I felt the same way-moved- as the chorus sang "Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!!...". I remember after not too long thinking to myself "Duh! Why am I crying? This is silly!" I started to feel this same emotion tonight, until I realized I was very much not alone.

This brought me to a wonderful book I read that my parents gave me for Christmas a few years ago called "Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish". It's a true story about a woman named Sue Bender. She fell in love with some Amish quilts one day, and it drove her to extreme depths to find what intrigued her so much about these pieces. She ended up finding an Amish family that allowed her to live with them for a few months. In the end, one of the things she found, or at least that I found, is the peace and joy a person can have in the most simple, day-to-day tasks. Their homes are their lives. They cook, clean, take care of gardens, and take care of each other, and that is enough. They don't seek for riches, or praise, or beauty. They have no pride. They enjoy life for what it is. At the end of the day, it is enough to just be together as a family, enjoying the beauty of the plants, or a beautiful night.

That is why I loved this play so much; I remembered the joy the day-to-day things can bring, and how the small things shape our lives in such tremendous ways. It allowed me the opportunity to let some buried feelings rise to the surface, and I am really grateful for that. We came home, and I just wanted to make our home look nice for Matt. I started to clean the kitchen so I could make him dinner, and I really enjoyed myself. It made me remember that life is about much more than doing more. Life is about living, and loving, and serving your family. It's about helping and caring. Of course we have work to do. Of course we cannot change our lives in a moment, but I believe in changing my attitude, and finding that part of me that loves more than anything to serve my husband, that loves the joy of walking through my clean house, and the pride it gives me knowing that it is clean because I worked hard...and sometimes I need a little encouragement in finding that place again.

As I sat wiping tears away from the strong emotions I felt, I had to remind myself that it was ok to be moved, it's ok to have something strike a chord in my heart so deeply. Thanks for such a wonderful date night, honey. I love you.