Today I was released from my calling as Secretary in the Young Women's Organization. I have been serving for 3 years, and perhaps I was getting a little tired, maybe a little more lazy in my duties as I was in the beginning. So it really was time, but that didn't seem to make it any less difficult. The girls chose God Be With You Till We Meet Again as the Opening Song. It was sweet and fitting as 9 of the 12 leaders were released today, but it was impossible for any of us to sing as we cried throughout the song. It's hard that something that has totally consumed your life has now come to an abrupt end. The crying came from the sadness that I will no longer have the close contact with these beautiful girls and the amazing women I had the privilege of working with. It comes from the wonderful memories of fun activities, spiritual moments, doing hard things together, having successes and failures, learning and growing together. It comes from reflecting on the many things I've learned and gleaned from watching some of the most amazing LDS Women I have ever known serve and teach these Young Women.
I received my Patriarchal Blessing exactly 21 years ago. It contains a paragraph that has always baffled and challenged me. I've struggled for all of those 21 years, not knowing how I was to fulfill this important job my Heavenly Father has asked me to do. Many times I have assumed that I somehow made choices that took this gift and opportunity away from me. Clearly, I have put it off for too long, or maybe I was just supposed to wait for the right time in my life aligned with this wonderful invention of internet blogs. At this point, I am hoping that it can stay relatively unseen and unread until I can figure out what I really am supposed to contribute. My blessing tells me that the role of women has never really been understood in the church, but if it pleases me, I should 'write' and help clarify to 'us' the richness of womanhood. One of my main obstacles until the last 3 years was that the blessing next asks me that "as you serve in the Young Women's program, look into the hearts of the people that you teach and have taught you and see there how womanhood is defined". I had never served in Young Womens! I was 36 years old, had 5 sons and no daughters and was scared and intimidated of Young Womens. Thank goodness my weakness was overlooked and I was finally given the chance.
I'll start off with what I learned from M, our president. Where do I start? I had always looked up to her from afar, but had never worked with her or even made friends with her. She is such a commanding, powerful leader, yet at the same time so humble, admitting her weaknesses, and never taking credit for her great successes. My personality just screams Secretary. I like organization, planning, putting things in their places. Those are my strengths and yet my weakness at the same time. M has taught me that in order to do our real job of loving and serving our girls, that sometimes it's better to let those organizational things fall by the way. It's been tough for me many times, but she puts her faith in God and Jesus Christ and always pulls off this confidence that things will work out and she's always been right. This is not to say that M is not organized. This woman has dreamed up, planned for, and pulled off some of the most incredible activities I have ever heard of. I was warned as I came into this calling maybe 9 months after the original presidency had been serving together, that this was an over-achieving presidency, and this was true. It was not just average weekly activities, but big additional activities, not just for fun, but always with an important objective behind it. I'm sure I couldn't name them all but the Jacob's Run Event, Walking to the Temple, the Family History Goal, the Missionary overnighter, the Girl's Camp River Run, Amazing Race Youth Conference are just a few. I have learned through these experiences that her testimony that the Youth increase their testimony most by doing hard things is completely true. I have learned the most through the hard things I have done as a Young Woman Leader: serving as a Ma at Pioneer Trek, encouraging the last few straggler girls up the hill at the end of our 14 mile temple walk, watching the girls get Baptized for their ancestors we had helped and encouraged them to find, planning and coordinating our Amazing Race Youth Conference, paddling the Beehives down the Colorado River through heat exhaustion and dehydration, begging Young Women to fill in to speak in Sacrament meeting at the last minute, pushing through long Savior of the World rehearsals to finally be rewarded with an experience of a lifetime.
With all the incredible work M puts into her calling, I am amazed that she still is able to put her family first. She shows an amazing amount of love and patience to her own daughter in Young Womens, she supports her boys in their intense sports schedules and even brings and includes her youngest to Activities when necessary. She supports and shows respect to her husband in his callings, speaks highly of him and even though she is such a strong leader she seems so equally yoked with him. She invites all (in our ward that's 11-13 ladies) the Young Women Leaders to meetings to collaborate about activities. She takes everybody's input and in the rare event that someone disagrees with her, she never seems to let it bother her or cause contention. She never seems to get discouraged Watching her teach, I know she is always guided by the Spirit to teach the Laurels exactly what they need to hear and her testimony shines through in her actions and words. Meg is incredibly athletically talented so many may call her a tom-boy, but I have learned so much about the richness of LDS Womanhood.
As I approached K today, she was already crying and we were both glad they didn't make us speak in Sacrament Meeting like the others. She began in this Presidency 4 years ago, but was "demoted" to a MiaMaid then Laurel Advisor when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. What an incredible experience it has been for us as she has shared her experiences along this rough road with the Young Women and her fellow leaders. I remember her coming to the church at around 4:30 AM just before her first surgery to bid us farewell on our River Run Girls Camp. I think she was devastated that she couldn't come with us and we were equally devastated to leave without her, but there she was at that insane hour supporting us. I know the girls have been a tremendous support to her as well through all of her ups and downs. We learned so much from her faith, her gratitude, her testimony growth, and even the preparation she had been inspired to do just before her diagnosis. She spoke at one of our Excellence Nights or New Beginnings talking about the things she's gained through her trials and I felt like we all gained similar things to a small degree right with her as she let us share in her experiences. The girls adore her for her fun, loving, caring, real personality. She is so talented, yet humble, very hard-working, and organized. She is also such a great example of an LDS woman as she balances her calling, her work, her musical theater pursuits and being a fabulous mom to a missionary and 2 other children and wife to a bishopric member.
I used to be S's Visiting Teacher. I felt awkward in that position because I felt so inferior to her, admired her, and wanted to be just like her when I grew up. I still feel that way after working closely with her in Young Women for 3 years. She is the definition of poise, classiness and in fact really the definition of the richness of LDS womanhood. But now I know she is real, and that she works hard to be the woman that she is. One night, I had the opportunity to be with her as we worked through a very difficult family situation with one of our girls. It was rough, but I learned so much from her as we loved, forgave, and acted as an advocate for this troubled Young Woman. I will continue to study how S exhibits the characteristics of a great LDS woman who also happens to be the bishop's wife.
There are multiple other leaders whose examples have been so inspiring to me. The Young Women themselves have taught me so much as well. That will have to be for another post in the future . . .
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