Who Raised an Eagle?

From Cameron's Ealge Court of Honor, Jan. 29, 2012

Yesterday I was making bread. I ground the wheat, added the ingredients, let it rise, baked it and ate it. My granddaughter Haylee was with me. She said in amazement, “You can MAKE bread??!!” I explained that, indeed, we can make bread, Little Red Hen. Well, in the case of making an eagle scout, all along the process it would have ended if I, the little red hen, had to plant, harvest, thrash, grind, mix, rise, shape, and bake the scout all by myself! So many people helped along the way! Walt was principal at Orchard when Cameron was about to start school. I went to him and asked if he thought maybe inclusion was right for Cam. With tears in his eyes, Walt said, “This school needs the experience of mainstreaming Cameron.” And we did. And Cameron grew and learned, a little differently than everyone else, and a little more slowly, but he began to set goals.
When he was a beginning cub scout, I had no idea that one day he would be getting his Eagle. One busy day he walked around the corner to the Stocks' for his den meeting. I thought I could quickly run to the mall while he was gone. The traffic was slow, and I was starting to panic when I finally got home. Cam was in the front yard. Something was inside his shirt. What is inside your shirt? “It’s the cops.” The phone rang from inside his shirt, and Cameron took it out and handed it to me. It was the 911 operator saying that someone was calling from our number. I assured her that all was well. Cameron learned how to get help at an early age, but I was not going to let anyone know that I had left my 8-yr-old, special-needs son alone!
Cameron has had wonderful experiences as you have included him in scouting. I think he would say the best thing about scouts is the BIG pizza at Bear Lake—and other stories of good food, falling out of a boat with Brother Crabtree, and all the adventures that made him into a true scout. Now the rest of you might remember trying to wake Cam up in the mornings, dragging him up and down mountains, trying to get him to “go” without benefit of a toilet, or calming his homesickness when he had been gone from home for a few hours.
For five years Cameron served in this ward as an assistant scout master. Thank you, Bishop Carlson and Bishop Elmer, Jason Beck, Von Proctor, Brad Burton, Gary Wadsworth, and so many others who never gave up in serving Cameron and helping him achieve his goal to be an Eagle Scout. Your patience and love and service has taught Cameron that he can do hard things. You have taught him to persevere. You have reached out and helped him when you did not need to because it was no longer your calling or stewardship. That is pure charity—to love as Christ loves. You have generously given gifts of love. Your sharing of spiritual gifts have lifted us all.
Those who have helped Cameron achieve are too numerous to mention, but all his friends, neighbors, family members, my friends, teachers, scout leaders, bishops, mission leaders, seminary and institute teachers, the Stock family, those who serve at the temple, members of this ward and his YSA ward—thank you all for your love and service. This morning a young man reported his mission in our ward. He said that standing in holy places makes all the difference. You have done that. You have helped Cameron stand where he is tonight.
When he was little, Cameron saw the Christus in Nauvoo and ran to it with open arms. “Jesus wants to hold me!” A couple of months ago Cameron woke up happy—yes, that is unusual. He said he had a really GOOD dream. In the dream Cam was walking down the street and he saw Jesus walking toward him. Cameron ran to Him and said,, “I know you!” And he does. Thank you all for loving, mentoring, and generously and patiently guiding Cameron.

Matters of Life and Death

I attended a funeral today for a friend who had a lifetime of impact on everyone he met--and in my view-- particularly to my children and the boys of our ward while they were growing up. Bill was only 51, and his death was unexpected. Like my young mother years ago, he suffered a massive heart attack and slipped away as his wife and paramedics helplessly tried to save him. Today we all joined to laugh and cry and bid Bill good-bye for now. His sister-in-law spoke of Bill as a "rescuer" and told the legendary story of Bill and the "bear can." We laughed as we recognized the Bill we knew in the words that honored him. One morning a few years ago, my friend April and I were on our morning walk. It was very early. The only living that were awake seemed to be us, some birds and insects, and some barking dogs. We walked down the street in front of the Abbotts'. Across the road from them lived a couple of women (that's another story) who had show dogs, and that morning, as we walked by, their German shepherd came over the fence, right at us--growling and barking. I was petrified and prepared to die. April was braver, but there may have been a slight amount of screaming. As we stood, frozen to the ground with fear, Bill came flying from his house like Superman on a mission. He grabbed the dog and pulled him to the ground, speaking firmly and returning the unfriendly canine to his own backyard. Bill rescued us another time when we had frozen faucets in our new house. There he was and refusing to take money. It is always a time to consider the fragile nature of life. You never know if you will live to be ninety like my friend Donna or be called home in what seems like an young and untimely death. Bill affected many lives, including mine. He was a force for life and laughter and service and family and scouting and love for others. Good-bye for now, Bill.

Matters of Age and Wisdom

I have a delightful 90-year-old friend named Donna. She is spunky and inspirational and indominable. Last month she collapsed while working out at the Fitness Center and was rushed to the hospital where doctors inserted a pacemaker and sent her home to continue to make the world a better place. When I visited her, she said, "I don't know why the Lord doesn't just take me home. I guess I still have lessons to learn." I hardly think so, Donna! Besides her mission as a young woman, she served three additional missions with her sweetheart Arvil, and together they raised seven children. She has many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews with their children, and neighbors and friends around the world. When I met Donna seven years ago she was still working as a kindergarten aide at an inner-city school and manning the counter at Burger King in the evenings! When Arvil died a few years ago, Donna took disabled veterans into her home to care for them! Ron died, and veteran Bill took his place in Donna's care last year. Donna's nephew was in need and homeless, so he is living there now, too. Donna drives them to appointments and feeds them three times a day. She is a visiting teacher, an inspiration in every Sunday class, and a guiding force at book club. So I say, "Donna, you are still here not because you have lessons yet to learn but because so many of us still have lessons to learn from you!"

Matters of New Starts

The holidays are almost over and tomorrow is that magical day of new starts, do-overs, and hope for the fabulous! A couple of times in my life I have actually written down new year's resolutions and crossed them off as I accomplished them. Of course, I never get skinny or exercise every day, but despite those "un-crossed-off" items, I do love new starts and setting up goals. So, I have spent three days cleaning and organizing my basement. Through the last seven years of living in our house. we have had all but one of our seven children living downstairs and leaving boxes of their things intentionally and a few things unintentionally. It was time for a thorough clean up. Forcing my children to take charge of their own junk was the hard part. Four loads to DI and a truckload to the dump later, the unfinished room in my basement looks ready to be finished. What a great "new start!"

Inevitably I am also starting a diet and a renewed commitment to Curves. I would also like to start walking and use those Zumba DVDs I got for Christmas 2010, but I would hate to make too many new starts! I will consider it.

There are always the money goals... I have enough, so...

2012: a year of new starts, gentle intentions, and faith

Technology Matters

Cameron called me yesterday to say he was “so MAD at Dad” for leaving his cell phone home. Isn’t it funny how dependent we become on technology? We get so used to being able to contact anyone at any time that it is frustrating when we cannot reach someone. If my computer is a little slow, I get irritated. If my husband’s mailbox is full (which it always is because he does not know how to check voice mail or delete messages!), I get aggravated with him. We expect the answer to any question at the tip our fingers online and instant contact by email, Facebook, or Twitter. We have all seen the latest sensations or the funniestLucy episode on YouTube. We are embarrassed to ask the five-year-old how to move to the next level on a game. Bowling now means flicking your wrist with a controller to send a virtual ball hurling toward virtual pins. I was not nice when I had to re-write electronic forms so that I could type on them (twice this week!). This is the technology age. It is making me impatient, intolerant, and demanding. In this techie world, we must still work with people. We must be patient, tolerant, and accepting. I wonder if I can find instructions for that online…

Matters of Faith

I find it interesting that a Baptist preacher gets so much press from declaring (backed up by the Southern Baptist Confernce) that Mormons are a cult and are not Christians. Why does any group get to say whether this church or that church is not Christian? I, a Mormon, belong to the Chruch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I declare myself a follower of Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ. I declare that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was founded not by a man as the preacher says but by Jesus Christ who was also head of the ancient Church. Joseph Smith was his prophet, called as was Moses. I declare my belief in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, as well as the Bible, as far as it is translated correctly. Other declared Christians can in all validity say that Mormons are not Evangelicals; Mormons are not Protestants; Mormons are not Baptists--but they have no right to say that Mormons are not Christians. I would not decide that Baptists or Methodists are not Christians because they do not follow every doctrine that I embrace. 11th Article of Faith: "We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God, according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege. Let them worship how, where, and what they may." I love and support all who claim Christ as their Savior and Redeemer and support their right to claim the title of Christian, as I do for myself and Mormons around the world.

Matters of Civility

Sometimes our course is set by the immediate needs of the children before us. When we see a child in pain, ridiculed, belittled, we reach out to do whatever is in our power to correct it. And so it was this last week at Copper Hills. A rather strange little girl, odd and different in so many ways, was the object of a cruel game perpetrated by her classmates. They were mocking her, name calling, poking, and pushing. Not only one or two students joined in, but whole classes sided against this singular child. Her teacher wondered what could be done. I called the District’s attorney and the head of student services. Bullying. What is to be done when it is 94 against one? The lawyer took it personally as the father of children on the autism spectrum. The teacher was heart-broken that her students could be involved in such unkindness. The girl and her mother, sadly, said it was okay—they were used to it. It was not okay! We had a meeting with all the students to appeal to their hearts and minds because it is not ever okay to stand by while one child hurts. It is our duty and our choice to make a difference to the one and to the 94.