"Life Is Like an Old-time Rail Journey"

My mom sent me a copy of an LDS Church News article from May 23, 2009, which quotes President Hinckley, who shared the following from a 1973 Deseret News column.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed.

"Most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise.

"Life is like an old-time rail journey -- delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."



I love those beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. We have had a few of those in the last few years, but the delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts come along all too often, and in one of those moments a few weeks ago, I was feeling discouraged and thought that I might need a little therapy. There are times when I get scared and worry about our daughter. When she gets mad and kicks and yells and fights, I think, what in the world are we going to do? We just want her to be happy. Will she be okay when she grows up? What will happen when she is a teenager? Don't even think about that! So I thought about therapy. Maybe that would help me deal with the doubts and fears and sorrow of having a child with special needs.

Then I remembered a new book I had heard about, The Year My Son and I Were Born, and decided to order it. Maybe it would help. Maybe it would be therapy. I read the book and it made me think of so many things, and raised so many questions and was written in such an honest way that I thought I better write down what I learned and thoughts that I had. So that's what I'll do.

And it's not all about the dust and the cinders. There are amazing vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. Like on Saturday, when we went to the movies with Miriam. We saw Ice Age, and Miriam really liked it. At one point one of the characters is disgusted with somebody and says, "Hello!" (like a smack on the forehead). So Miriam shouts out, "Hay-yo!" Then later Miriam shouted "Hoo-way!" during something exciting, and I thought, How great is that. Who does that? We laughed and then told her to be quiet. Then today I asked Miriam if she wanted to wear this shirt or that shirt, and she said, "This one." I looked at her in wonder. I've never heard her say that before. I told Chuck and we looked at each other and nodded. All right.