How to Tie a Knot

Hi everyone (or Mom as Adrianne says my Mom is the only one who reads my blog),
Today I thought I'd share some coping skills that I have learned, as I prepare for this adventure. Maybe they will help any of you that are considering an extended adventure away from home.

When I was a teenager (not that many years ago :)) There was a poster that seemed to show up almost everywhere. It had a kitten on it that was hanging off the end of a rope and the caption read "When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on". Well, I have definitely reached the end of my rope and so I have tied a knot. If you ask my old cub scouts or my family, they will all tell you that knot tieing is not my forte. Consequently, the knot at the end of my rope slips from time to time and has to be retied. That's OK as long as you can hang on and tie at the same time. Otherwise you may have to ask a friend to tie for you. Never be afraid to ask for help. (By the way, Sister Harker is really good at starting supper if you have to be in three places at the same time and can only physically manage two.) So here are the loops and turns of my knot. Yours may be different but maybe seeing mine will help you tie yours.

The first loop of my knot is organization. I am not good at following lists but making them helps me see the whole picture and gain a sense of priority. The first thing I noticed about my list was that one person had no hope of being able to reach the end in the time I had been given. So I looked at what absolutely had to be done and knocked off the stuff that could be neglected. The dogs can really manage with a walk every second or third day, it may be nice to thoroughly clean your house daily but you may have to lower your expectations a little - a good cleaning once a week and a lick and a promise on other days. There are others but you get the idea. Your best friends on this loop may be the yellow pages and a 'phone. Anything I can do from home I do from home. If someone delivers it's worth the $10, if I'm not sure the store will have what I'm looking for I 'phone first. Again, you get the idea.

The first turn in my knot may look wrong to the casual observer; like this move will actually unravel the knot when the opposite is actually true. This turn is called down time. Each day you need to take time and breathe. Not two minutes time but and hour or maybe two depending on how high your stress levels get. It's like blowing up a balloon: you need to put in enough air to keep it full and pretty but if you put in too much it will pop. Better to let a little air out now and then before you put more in. OK, bad metaphor but you are smart, figure it out! My down time might include a long bath, a couple of chapters in a book, reading scriptures or writing a blog. And sometimes down time happens in weird places: like doctor's offices or in the car outside of the school - we all have those waiting times, even when we are busy, instead of letting them ramp up the stress (why am I just sitting here! I have so much to do! I don't have time for this!) use them as down time (finally a couple of minutes to sit still, take a book and read or day dream or just close your eyes and breathe, whatever works for you).

The next loop is WORK! Keep putting one foot in front of the other and, even though you may doubt it from time to time, it will all get done! Sometimes it's hard to know exactly where to start but most of the time the where isn't as important we think it is. Just pick an edge or jump right into the middle. It doesn't matter how or where you start, just start. This is where the list comes in handy again. Even if you don't follow the list, remember to check off what is done. Seeing the list get smaller is a real boost!

Turn #2 is a sense of humor. Hold on to yours with both hands and feet. It's true that running back and forth between the walk-in clinic and the x-ray clinic was not in the plans for today but who can plan for, what is now referred to as, the tweezers accident. And let's face it, it was funny to see her roll her eyes, every time someone asked her if it was a sports injury, and she had to explain it was more like a clumsy injury. I mean who stubs her toe on a plastic packing carton and tears the tendons in her foot? On some level, that's funny. Find that level! She thinks she'll be off crutches before we go to Belize for spring break - I think we should take them along in case!

The last loop is to remember what is important. Spend time with your family and friends. Call your Mom for a chat. Go to your Sunday meetings.

Then, when my knot is all tied I pour priesthood glue all over it. Get blessings when you need them. Write them down and read them often.

So far my knot is working for me. I hope yours is working for you! Talk to you later.