Friday's Watch Word - - Considerate Saturday's Watch Word - - Calm

Considerate:

1)     Given to consideration, or to sober reflection; thoughtful; hence, serious; circumspect; careful; discreet; prudent; not hasty or rash; not negligent.

2)  Having respect to; regardful; as, considerate of praise.

3)  Moderate; not rigorous.

This word means more than we give it credit for these days.  We call "rude" "inconsiderate"  and that is true but that isn't even half of the real meaning.

I like this word because it gives me permission to take time to think about things before I say anything...even in a conversation where the other person just wants to talk out of passion.  To be considerate is to put a bridle on the passion and speak/act with care (remember "careful"?)

During the rough time of what I call Randy's 'walk-about' I learned to use this skill and it saved me having to eat a lot of potentially unpleasant 'crow'.

This gives the Holy Ghost time to help us say/do just the right thing for the situation.  I am so grateful.  I wish I had employed it more when I 'vented' about some things.  Alas, hindsight is 20/20...and repentance is hard at times.

I read a story the other day about a boy who had a temper and said mean and hurtful things a lot.  His father set his a task of pounding a nail in the fence every time he got upset instead of saying hurtful things. As time passed he stopped saying hurtful things so much and his father had him remove the nails from the fence. Then the father took his son to the fence and showed him the holes that were left.  He pointed out that our words can affect others in such a way that the hurt is very difficult to heal. He said that his son should think of the fence every time the urge to be hurtful arose.

That was a great lesson to me.  Considerate...take time to think about it before you say it or do it.  How will it affect/effect others or the situation?


Saturday's Watch Word - - Calm

Today was a fun day.  We were invited to a birthday party for one of our little 'princesses'.  I loved watching Cara hustle about and take care of all the things that needed doing...calmly enlisting assistance where she needed it.  I wonder if the calm was only on the surface...

There were 10 little girls invited, and the mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers, and the various aged brothers and cousins.

Cara was so busy and so happy.  She is an inspiration. Even with the wind blowing and the lightning just before the set up and the launch of the little tea party...using Shayla's little plastic tea sets with princesses (Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Ariel)...when the time came to begin the wind died down and the sun came out and we had a lovely time.  When the tables were all put away and the last guest left the sky clouded over and the sky said, "Okay, my turn now."

Calm:

1)     Still; quiet; being at rest; as the air. Hence not stormy or tempestuous.

2)  Undisturbed; not agitated; as a calm sea.

3)  Undisturbed by passion; not agitated or excited; quiet; tranquil; as the mind, temper or attention.

Calm: noun

1)     Stillness; tranquility; quiet; freedom  from motion, agitation, or disturbance.

My aunt is dying.  She wants to die.  She has cancer and has opted out on any treatment toward cure or relief...hospice has been called in.  She is tired of the battle she has been fighting for several years now and just wants to "go home."  She is totally at peace with it. And so are her sisters.  I don't know that I am...but it is not my place to decide things for her. I love her and will do my best to be at peace with her decision.

So, I employ Consideration and Calm today.

Onward and Upward!
Tari