Happy Pioneer Day

I had no idea that yesterday was Pioneer Day. LOL! But I spent the day doing some fun things. I got up and had an interview at a place that makes high-end diamond rings. It went well, but it just doesn't feel like the right fit. So I'll keep looking. What's funny is the guy interviewing me looked exactly like my dad.

Then I came home and the Monzingo's came over to swim and have some fun. We had a ton of food (grilled chicken and shrimp, pasta salad, watermelon, fruit salad, etc.) We swam and played and ate and got tan. Autumn loves being in the water and was so cute.

Then Liz, who is also going through a divorce, and her little girl, and Josie and I all went and saw hairspray. I loved the original one with Ricki Lake, and this one was just as cute. Everyone has made such a fuss about John Travolta being the mom, and he did a good job. My favorite, though, of course was Queen Latifah. I'm glad the lead girl in the movie was some girl that worked at an ice cream store. That's cool when someone unknown gets a big break like this.

Anyways, it was nice to just be out of the house and feel a little "normal" again. Since I now know that it was Pioneer Day yesterday, that of course got me to thinking about how lucky I am to live in a time of such convenience and comfort. I could never have crossed the plains and not had air conditioning, no cars, not to mention good walking shoes. They really are an example of obedience and sacrifice. I was looking on line to find something about modern pioneers and found this, and thought it fit perfectly with what I am feeling:

The path of modern pioneers is not easy. Burdens carried in the heart can be just as heavy as those pulled in a handcart. And just as some early pioneers struggled for the benefit of others, so some modern pioneers carry burdens imposed by the transgressions or thoughtlessness of others.

Another letter came from a woman who had been divorced. Although she said that the ten years that followed her divorce were a time of trial, heartache, struggle, and loneliness, she described that experience as “a blessing”—“a refining process.” She expressed gratitude “for what I now have. It has brought me so close to my Heavenly Father and particularly to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a feeling that I’m not sure can be expressed in words. I literally came before the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. No physical pain I have ever experienced has been as painful as the emotional pain I have felt. But each time I feel it, it draws me so close to the Lord because I think of all He suffered, and it makes me so grateful. I love Him with all my heart and soul for His sacrifice and for all He represents.”

I know that what I'm going through is hardly anything at all compared to what others have been through. But I think it's important to remember that we all have sorrows, we all have tribulations, and we all have trials. What's important is how we deal with them, what we learn from them, and that we move on to become better people. I am thankful for the pioneers and the heritage and legacy they left for me. I just hope to return the favor by being a pioneer and leaving a rich heritage and legacy for Autumn to be proud of.