If I Were a Rich Man

Interesting proposition though that may be to contemplate, if I were a rich man, well I just wouldn't recognize myself! It is definitely a blast to have some mad money to spend once in awhile though. Last week, due to the dispersal of a few remaining funds from my mom's estate, I was able to go on a spending spree. Wheeeeee! Somewhere out there, the U.S. Postal Service is in possession of several packages laden with goodies bound for my address. Books, games, a few toys, Corelle dinnerware, red gingham acrylic tumblers, and elegant red acrylic goblets to coordinate with the dinnerware are headed my way! This week I plan to order a Wonder mill Whisper Mill The worlds best grain machine and a food dehydrator, and I'm searching for a good deal on a fire pit for Dan's rapidly approaching birthday.

On top of all this shopping, I've just finished, and begun another, wonderful book. Martha Spence Haywood's journal, written from 1850 to 1856 and titled Not By Bread Alone, was a real heart- and-eye-opener for me. Most surprisingly, some of the very ancestors and their acquaintances I've been reading about were mentioned by name, and Martha knew one of them, Benjamin F. Johnson, quite well. Benjamin was the first husband of Flora Clarinda Gleason Johnson Washburn. Clarinda divorced him and married Abraham Daniel Washburn, the first Washburn to join the church, having been taught by Parley P. Pratt in New York. Not too surprisingly, the reason for the divorce varies depending on whether you're a Washburn or a Johnson descendant. Martha often alluded to vexing differences of opinion with family members and others, without going into great detail. Ever quick to turn her trials over to the Lord, she wrote that it was her belief that they were designed to refine and fit her for exaltation. Her patience and uncomplaining nature inspire me. I learned a lot from reading Martha's words that I want to emulate, and I hope to meet her someday and sit down with her for a friendly chat. I stumbled across a talk by Elder Cook, one thought from which I'm putting at the end of this entry, because it made me think of Martha.

The other book I'm reading is about another non-complainer, Jean-Dominique Bauby. A massive stroke left him paralyzed, except for his left eyelid, completely dependent upon others for life itself. The paralysis caused him to suffer locked-in syndrome. With a mind as active and observant as ever, his wit and candor are intriguing. His remarkable book is called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

I am grateful for the people who strongly impacted the quality of my life last week, and I can't say thank you to any of them. Sister Haywood, Mr. Bauby, and especially my sweet, wise mother, in their own individual ways, truly enriched me, not just for last week, but for always.

Elder Gene R. Cook:
"I bear testimony that often, in the midst of suffering trials, afflictions, and discouragement, those very circumstances tutor us in developing increasing love and trust in God. Consequently, what a great blessing those trials are!"