This isn’t my week.

I’ve woken up with a migraine since Tuesday… so that’s six days in a row. I know people think I get them a lot, but my normal is actually one time a month around the first day of my menstrual cycle. Though this started two days before that and doesn’t seem to want to quit. I got up and ate something so I could take some meds and rotated between a hot bath and ice masks. By the time we were headed to church it was starting to go away, but for those of you who get migraines, you know that you don’t exactly feel great after they leave… better, yes, but kind of like you went a whole night without sleep. Maybe because I didn’t really sleep well because I had a migraine…. Anyway, this was the second week of my new calling as singing time leader. I really enjoy the calling, but I definitely have a lot to learn. As I get my wings underneath me, I am going to try to incorporate my ukulele and maybe my guitar. I may even try to use my own drawings to help teach the words to songs, but I’m realizing that just getting through the songs is a challenge. We had two weeks to learn a song for Mother’s Day and I’m praying the kids practice the song at home because it was a little rough today. I have a couple of primary children who are rather challenging to have (distracting to others, outbursts, and occasionally blatantly rude). I’m learning that the same method of behavior doesn’t work for each kid. I also went home with a list of things to remember for next week: post-its for the songs and binders, labels, and just having some markers on hand in case a last minute burst of inspiration hits me.

I really enjoy it though, even with the migraine, even with the challenges. I love the kids. I love hearing them learn the songs and smile back at me as we sing together. I always leave primary feeling more uplifted and filled with the light of Christ.

I probably didn’t help my migraine too much when I bore my testimony. I kind of lost it and had to leave to cry without anyone watching… I hate crying in front of people. I wasn’t going to bear my testimony today, but the sister I minister to decided to get up and shared how I helped her get her garden back in shape last year while she was still recovering from long covid. Her words weren’t embarrassing, just touching. Sometimes we don’t realize the impact a tiny bit of service can do. Surprisingly, instead of feeling sheepish, I decided to bear my testimony too. I got up and shared how serving that sister had helped me too and sometimes when we serve others, we get more from the act of service than those we are serving. Then I started to share how I was having a hard day one day this week (really it was the whole week) and I scrolled across this instagram post of a dentist that usually does funny quips, but on this particular day he shared how he had had a hard day and when he has hard days he has the attitude of, “today is not my day, so whose day is it? whose day can I help make?” So as I said my nightly prayers that night I asked that question to Heavenly Father and the name he told me surprised me. So I texted this sister the next day and sure enough she was having a hard day too. Her son was sick and she had been busy getting ready to move. She didn’t say she needed anything, but took me up on my offer to go to lunch with her tomorrow. I hope the lunch can boost her spirits. When I walked out I probably made a bigger scene than I wanted to, but I needed a cry and I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. I’m really struggling with the fact that Andy’s leaving in July. I’m trying to be strong but it just sucks. After a minute an elderly sister missionary who is the missionary over military relations popped her head in to check in on me. She was sweet. But apparently Andy was looking for me and then Lindsay. I feel loved, but also embarrassed I lost my cool. I don’t like crying and I usually don’t, but I especially don’t want to cry in front of an entire congregation.

We were pretty busy this week. Beverly had dance pictures, Maverick had three games finishing up his normal season (playoffs are this week), and Andy had 8 shifts in a 9 day period. We also had some weird virus hit the kids with upset tummies and weird rashes. I think we’re out of the woods for that now though. I’m hoping this week can be my week… but if not, hopefully I can help make someone else’s week.