1317. Father's Day Thoughts!

June 20, 2021

I haven't posted very often lately. Part of the reason is that I thought I could come up with thoughts and stories on my own, and didn't just want to copy other people's writings.

Also, one reason has been the effect that Covid has had on all of us! I had a hip replacement on February 8th this year. I had the first Covid shot 6 days before, on February 2nd, and I believe that saved my life! Because a daughter who came to help me came down with Covid 2 days later. So in the 2nd week of recovering and healing from a hip replacement surgery, I got a case of Covid also! I believe that first vaccine saved my life, and made me not have it as bad!

Anyway, I have decided that I will offer you great thoughts as I read them from various places, and I will always give the credit to whomever wrote them, and where I got them. Also I'll try to write more of my own thoughts. At age 86 1/2 +, I think a lot about life, and what I've learned, and I don't know if it would be interesting to readers of my blog or not. But it helps me keep my mind busy, giving me a challenge to keep my blog going! So I hope that is fine with you!

I read this today, and it was the talk on the Tabernacle Choir broadcast today. It is so wise, here it is! :

Not long ago, a young couple was on an airplane with their new baby. As the plane prepared for takeoff, the flight attendants gave their usual preflight safety instructions — how to buckle the seat belt, how to find the nearest exit. The father was only half-listening until he heard this instruction about what to do if oxygen levels dropped: “Secure your oxygen mask first, and then assist others.”
Holding his helpless infant in his arms, the father was unexpectedly stunned by these words. How could he possibly put an oxygen mask on himself before putting one on his son? It seemed so selfish, so contrary to the natural instincts in a father’s heart. Shouldn’t you always help your child first?
But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he couldn’t offer his baby any safety at all if he wasn’t safe himself. He began to see that the principle applies not just to oxygen levels but also to spiritual, emotional and physical well-being — everything he hoped to provide for his precious child.
Self-neglect does no good to others, any more than self-centeredness does. On the other hand, strengthening yourself spiritually, emotionally and physically puts you in a better position to offer the help you want to give. There’s nothing selfish about caring for yourself so you can provide better care to others.
That’s what makes self-care different from self-absorption — it’s motivated by love. And it doesn’t have to be time-consuming to be effective. Often a few consistent moments, repeated over time, make all the difference. Just as simple exercise builds physical strength, daily prayer improves our spiritual resilience. Daily planning helps us prepare mentally for the day’s demands. It shouldn’t be a choice between caring for yourself and caring for others. Both are needed, and they work in harmony. By doing things that fortify your body, mind and spirit, you help those around you even as you help yourself.
This is how authentic and simple self-care becomes other-care. That’s what a young father learned while sitting in an airplane, holding a baby. And it’s what we all can learn as we seek to truly bless and help the people we love.

As today is Father's Day, I'll post a few choice pictures of my dear husband, passed away on February 21, 2016. We have wonderful memories of him, his cheerfulness, and fun personality!