Busy-ness

It has been a busy week. But, when is it not? One of my best friends says that I just make myself busy. At first, I didn't agree, but after much reflection, I suppose it is true.

• I chose to go to my kids' awards ceremony at the school, even if it was pretty rinky-dink and not that well planned out.
• I choose to go workout at 5:15 in the morning.
  
• I chose to accept a calling in the Relief Society presidency and thus I choose to attend weekly presidency meetings and frequent Enrichment Committee meetings, as well as visit new sisters, help with visiting teaching, etc.
  
• I choose to help with the stuff I can do for the clinic so that DH doesn't have all of the burden of running our own business.
• I choose to maintain some semblance of order and cleanliness in my home.
• I choose to plant and maintain a garden, as well as cut, edge, water, and fertilize our lawn.
• I choose to help out a friend and neighbor by watching her children.
• I choose to cuddle and read books with LD before he takes a nap.
• I choose to have the big kids take turns helping me cook so I can spend time with them and they can learn a very valuable skill.
• ETC

Along these thought lines, I just decided to look up some quotes from General Authorities. I wanted a barometer. How am I doing? Is it bad to be busy? Here are some quotes that I found:

Elder L. Tom Perry (in this talk) stated, “These are busy, busy days for you. I have seen women in all kinds of circumstances—.....but it is my opinion that … Mormon women are among the hardest working women in the world. They plant gardens and they bottle the produce; they sew and bargain shop. They go on the heart fund drive. They take dinners to new mothers and the sick in their neighborhoods. They take care of aged parents. They climb (mountains) with Cub Scouts, go to Little League games, sit on the piano bench while Jennie practices, do temple work, and worry about getting their journals up-to-date. My heart bursts with pride when I see them come into church on Sunday, some as early as 8:30 in the morning, their children all clean and shiny, their arms loaded with supplies, as they head for classes where they teach other women’s children. They scrub their houses with little or no domestic help and then try to be the glamour girl in their husband’s life when he arrives home at night. But remember, my dear young friends, that you are now doing the work that God intended you to do. Be grateful for the opportunity”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (in this talk) stated, "Someone has said: “Be kind to the women. They constitute half the population and are mothers to the other half.”
My dear sisters, you marvelous women who have chosen the better part, I stand in great admiration for all that you do. I see your hands in everything.
Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time.
You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have.
You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.
You are shoppers. Until I got older I never dreamed of what a demanding responsibility it is to keep food in the pantry, to keep clothing neat and presentable, to buy all that is needed to keep a home running.
You are nurses. With every illness that comes along, you are the first to be told about it and the first to respond with help. In cases of serious sickness, you are at the bedside day and night, comforting, encouraging, ministering, praying.
You are the family chauffeur. You are driving your children about on paper routes, taking them to athletic events, driving them on ward outings, hauling here, there, and everywhere as they pursue their busy lives.
And so I might go on.

Well, you dear women, I say thanks to you. Thank you for being the kind of people you are and doing the things you do. May the blessings of heaven rest upon you. May your prayers be answered and your hopes and dreams become realities."

Finally, President Faust stated, "Some of you sisters may feel inadequate because you can’t seem to do all you want to do. Motherhood and parenting are most challenging roles. You also have Church callings that you fulfill so capably and conscientiously. In addition, many of you, besides all this, have to work as well as care for your family. .... In general you noble sisters are doing a much better job of holding it all together and making it work than you realize. May I suggest that you take your challenges one day at a time. Do the best you can. Look at everything through the lens of eternity. If you will do this, life will take on a different perspective."

Sorry. That is a novel. I guess it is what I needed to hear, since so much came up when I researched this topic. I guess it is okay to make myself busy...as long as I have the lens of Eternity to judge my choices by. So...tomorrow, I will choose to be busy again! Isn't it wonderful?