My To Do List

All my life I have looked up my older sister and the rock star that she is.

For years I was called her shadow from sticking so close to her. She has always looked out for, welcomed me, and been there for me. For years, I've tried to become like her. I realized this year I am getting closer. 

This year I was blessed to receive Mitzi's name. I wanted to do something different than what I had done in 2012 (I'm still having nightmares of raw chicken:). Trying to think of something new and creative to do for Mitzi was harder than I thought. I tried to dig into what SHE likes, enjoys, aspires to, etc but with no luck. Every time I tried to dig in, she would be off to helping a child, a niece/nephew, sister, mother with some other task. Mitzi is a compulsive helper. It is an extreme disease which often prevents her from doing ANY of her own tasks. It is what makes her one of the most unselfish people I have ever known. 

I invited her to come hang out one day to get away from her house/responsibilities and work on something she had been working on for a long time and wanted to get finished before a deadline. Well good news, she did it! She came over and... brought ANOTHER task not at all associated with the task she really wanted to finish. She couldn't even come to work on what she wanted to work on for once! Instead she brought over another project to give to others, separating nativities for each of her primary kids.

Since I was not doing so hot at digging into the deeper what SHE really loves (I'm starting to wonder if SHE EVEN KNOWS!?). I figured I better just serve her until I could think of something!!!

I needed help. I couldn't think of anything. 

I prayed to know how I could best channel my inner Mitzi to help spread Christmas cheer. I explained to my Father in Heaven that Mitzi is so good at saying yes before she checks her own schedule or worries about herself. I wanted to have that automatic response to serve like the Savior and Mitzi. 

WARNING: think twice before you ask Heavenly Father for such a task. I found things popping up left and right that I could help with. 

When a new mother of twins needed dinner, I signed up, even though I am not in her ward. It wasn't out of duty, it was out of love for this friend in need. 

When a single lady and a grandmother helping her kids and grandkids in the hospital couldn't make it to the Relief Society Ornament Exchange, I drove them each an ornament to tell them we missed them. 

When young parents of a 1 yr old ended up at the hospital for 5 days with her in and out of ICU, I took them dinner, organized dinners for a week, and scrubbed their carpets to disinfect them to get rid of germs before they returned home. Not after checking my calendar, but instead as soon as I heard their situation.

When Mitzi received disturbing news of her husband's Melanoma skin cancer and was unsure of the future (and unsure of her husband's response since she wasn't supposed to tell anyone- which she had only told dad, and dad told me:) I hope we were able to help ease her stress. (So glad that the cancer in treatable and is looking extremely mild). 

When a mother of 4 had to return to the hospital for yet ANOTHER with her 1 year old for surgery, I called to see if I could kidnap the other siblings for a play date to give them some attention. The oldest sister was so sweet and excited to have a play date all about her. She smiled the entire time!

After weeks of praying for an idea of how to serve Mitzi and serve like our Savior and Mitzi, I found myself frustrated wondering why I hadn't received a great epiphany of how I could serve Mitzi while at the same time why I was NOT being at ALL productive! 

I was on my knees pleading and expressing my concerns when I had the clear impression, "Look at what you have done the last 2 weeks. There is a reason why you have not gotten anything done on your to do list for two weeks, it's because you were working on mine." 

Tears filled my eyes as I reflected on the great opportunity I was given this year to "Feed his sheep" (John 21:15-17), to "mourn with those that mourn" (Mosiah 18:9), to remind others to "Be of good cheer" (Matt 14:27), and to "Behold His little ones"(3 Nephi 17:23).

I was blessed that after years of trying to emulate her, I found myself without even thinking of my schedule, my needs/wants, my plans for the day, or even about this Christmas service... that I was saying yes. It is a weakness of mine that I have worked on for years and I strongly believe that after praying to know how to serve like our Savior, and selflessly like my sister Mitzi... I did. And I really enjoyed it! 

I hope that I will be able to keep that throughout my life, no matter the storms that come to my life, no matter how tight our time or money may be, and not just at this season of service. 

It reminds me of Irving Berlin's words on sisters:

All kinds of weather

We stick together

The same in the rain or sun

Two diff'rent faces

But in tight places

We think and we act as one

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. (Mosiah 2:17)