We all know that I don't handle releases from callings very well. Generally, I throw everything I am into a calling, and I form really tight relationships which are difficult to break or let go of at the end of it all. I knew that my release as first counselor in the young women's presidency was coming down the pike, because my YW president had asked me when I would be moving. She was also asked to submit any releases/callings that she wanted to happen, because according to our new bishop, a bunch of changes were coming. (Note to self: expect major changes after a bishopric change. It always happens.)
I only get to teach the Mia Maids once every other month, because the advisor takes the alternate second Sunday of the month, and the girls teach on the fourth Sunday. So, I knew today was probably it. In fact, I'm so thankful that I chose to come home early from the football game in Illinois, because I wouldn't have had this chance otherwise.
When the changes were announced for the Young Women's program in General Conference last week, some of them were hard for me to swallow. Just getting rid of the class names (Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels) made me incredibly sad, and changing the theme, part of which I've been saying since I, myself, was a young woman? Yeah. However, I knew that for the girls' sake, I needed to really embrace the changes so that I could help them do the same.
It started with reading the new YW theme. The old one began like this: "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love him."
The new one begins: "I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny."
As one of my MM said today, "Woah."
And as I read that this past week, I knew exactly what we needed to talk about in our lesson today. I wanted to discuss the differences in that new sentence and what it meant to the girls, and I wanted to talk about who they are in reference to it.
It didn't take long for me to formulate my lesson, and I knew that I had too much material, but I trusted that the Holy Ghost would help me guide the lesson when I stood up.
The final thing though that I wanted to share with them was a video of a conference talk by Elder Uchtdorf called "Our True Identity". The talk is much longer than the short video clip I shared, but the church did a beautiful job illustrating his talk about "the ugly duckling", a story by Hans Christian Andersen. And it related so beautifully to what I was trying to teach the girls--that when life's challenges get them down (whether they be insecurity, doubt, criticism), they can remember that what they are inside is what matters. They aren't ugly ducklings like the world will tell them they are, but that someday, they will be reunited with other stellar spiritual beings like themselves (whether on Earth or after) and they will see their beauty and magnificence that was hiding below the surface.
I had copies of the new theme printed for them to hang in their rooms, and on the back (per John's excellent suggestion), I printed a part of a very famous poem by Wordsworth that is frequently quoted in General Conference:
And after that, I wrote a short note to them all, telling them that they are divine.
And I bought them each a copy of the most beautifully illustrated picture book edition of "The Ugly
Duckling". I found it on Amazon for $10.99, and while I hesitated to spend that much on a take-home from a lesson (believe me, I stared at the "Pay Now" button on Amazon for 12 copies of the book for a long while), but I believe now that it was inspired (more about that later). And in the book, on the front inside cover, I handwrote a message saying, "Remember who you are! <3 Sister Kennedy"
Back to the actual hour of time with my cutie Mia Maids.
When I walk in the room, I seriously feel like a celebrity. The girls are already sitting down (since I'm finishing up postlude on the organ), and they start asking me about me. They comment on my dress, or my hair, or make some joke about something I do or say. It's like having the twelve best friends of my life all in one room. And if our advisor, Sister Edwards, isn't in there yet (she has a nazi attitude about not wasting time), we will just sit and talk about our weeks. It is seriously one of the best hours of my entire week, if not THE best.
Today, I walked in, and Sage handed me a "thank you" card to sign that the girls had all signed. I asked them who we were telling "thank you", and I opened it to see it say "Happy birthday, Amelia!"
What the heck? Again, holding court in front of the room, I turned to my darling little secretary, Rachel Hicken, and asked what was up with the "thank you" card for a birthday? Were we thanking Amelia for being born??
More laughter.
So I scrawled across the front of it, under the "Thank You" for being born. I then read out loud while I wrote the words inside, "Thank your mother, Amelia, for birthing you. <3 Sister Kennedy"
Rachel then announced (after going back to the cupboard) that it was "thank you", "hello", or "with love". Rachel! "With love" would have been better for a birthday! No, Sister Kennedy, the "thank you" card had a dog on the front, and who doesn't want a dog card for their birthday???
Those are the kinds of moments that I will miss. Laughing, and having fun, and sharing in happiness and goodness.
Then, Sage, who never wavers from asking the exact same questions at the beginning of class even though nobody really answers them, asked again, "Has anyone had any experiences this week that drew them closer to the Savior?"
It's usually a "cricket" response, but today four or five hands went up, and tender experiences were shared. I knew then that the Spirit was leading the lesson. And it hadn't even begun yet.
So when I stood up to teach, there was less than 30 minutes, but I didn't care. I got right to writing on the board, which helps me process what I'm saying and which the girls have come to love (believe me, I have been through the ringer on my handwriting, or the pictures I draw). I had them dictate to me the first sentences of the old theme and the new theme, and asked them what they thought.
After the initial "woah", the next answer was POTENTIAL. I left that for a moment.
We then went around the room, and I asked the girls what traits or characteristics they had inherited from their parents. Of course Sage began with "stubbornness"...and her mother, Amber, was sitting in the back because she joins us every week for class as an honorary member ;-). Isabel followed with "sarcasm".
Okay, folks. This isn't really going where I wanted it to go....
But it was good. We had lots of good answers, and I always love hearing the girls talk about themselves, because it gives me some insight into how they see themselves.
We then talked about being daughters of heavenly parents, and we talked about what qualities we might have inherited from our Heavenly Mother and Father. It was beautiful to hear their answers.
At this point, I had about five minutes left in my lesson. I still had three videos to show and scriptures to look up, and connections to make, but I dropped it all to show Elder Uchtdorf's video about "The Ugly Duckling".
And when it was done, I bore testimony to all of them about the divine potential that they have. And when they feel like they are nothing, or don't matter in the grand scheme, they can pull out the book, read the story, see my little note to them, and remember that they ARE someone. The Spirit was so sweet and tender in that moment, and I knew it was my last time with them.
Afterwards, we had breadsticks for Amelia's birthday (she's been diagnosed with celiac disease and can only eat gluten for four more days, so breadsticks were her request), and Rachel Hicken came up to me and told me that her mother and grandmother give her a picture book for every birthday and Christmas so that when she has her own family someday, she will already have a library of books for them. And she was so happy to add my book to her collection. At that point, I went to open it up so she would always remember that I had given it to her, but she looked right at me and said, "I already saw what you wrote." And she smiled at me. I threw my arms around her and just held her close.
So during class presidency meeting afterwards (where we set a bunch of good goals through December when they will all move up to Laurels), John poked his head into the classroom and told me that Brother McNiven (in the bishopric) wanted to meet with us. And I knew it. I knew it was over. I walked out to Greenie after presidency meeting to drop off my stuff, and Amber met me out there. I just started crying, and she threw her arms around me.
And then I walked in. Sure enough, I was being released, but in the tenderest mercy of all, it wasn't just me being released but it was my entire presidency. No joke, my biggest fear had been being released but watching Rachel Spencer and Stacy Anderson walk down to the YW classrooms without me. Knowing that we were all going down at the same time was such a mercy.
And kudos to Brother McNiven for allowing us to tell him a bit of how hard our lives are right now when he asked. He then wanted to know if there was anything that prevent me from serving in .... Primary. Uh, well, I can't be in a small, enclosed room with children because of my poor immune system. But, he asked, I could do something like Primary pianist?
Yes..... *sigh*
It was a bunch of little things that happened that led to me teaching today when I was planning on being gone in Illinois, but what a blessing that I wasn't. I can't even imagine the sadness I would feel now, knowing that I had missed that opportunity.
And on the way home, I shed some tears, but my thoughts went almost immediately to Rachel Spencer. As of last Wednesday during our presidency meeting, she was talking about activities through January, so I knew that what had happened today was unexpected for her. And knowing that she doesn't make friends or build connections easily, I reached out. I knew that she was going to take this incredibly hard, and it wasn't until this evening that she responded, and sure enough, she said all the things that I thought she would be feeling. And I know what she feels when she hopes the new president will call her back into young women for something. My prayers will be with her over the next month.
Here are couple of thoughts she shared over text:
And yes, Brother McNiven asked us to stay in a "holding pattern" until the new president figures out who she wants to call and can get some training. It will probably be a month. As Stacy said, this is VERY weird. And knowing Stacy and the blabber mouth that she is, she will no doubt let the cat out of the bag that we are being released.
So as John and I went to a couple of open houses today in Plymouth and Northville, don't think I wasn't envisioning having the young women over once I have a house again....and it would be only better with a pool. Temple trip in the morning, Sister Kennedy's pool in the afternoon ;-)
It's been a joy.
And now to get a last selfie before we're released <3
I only get to teach the Mia Maids once every other month, because the advisor takes the alternate second Sunday of the month, and the girls teach on the fourth Sunday. So, I knew today was probably it. In fact, I'm so thankful that I chose to come home early from the football game in Illinois, because I wouldn't have had this chance otherwise.
When the changes were announced for the Young Women's program in General Conference last week, some of them were hard for me to swallow. Just getting rid of the class names (Beehives, Mia Maids and Laurels) made me incredibly sad, and changing the theme, part of which I've been saying since I, myself, was a young woman? Yeah. However, I knew that for the girls' sake, I needed to really embrace the changes so that I could help them do the same.
It started with reading the new YW theme. The old one began like this: "We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us and we love him."
The new one begins: "I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents with a divine nature and an eternal destiny."
As one of my MM said today, "Woah."
And as I read that this past week, I knew exactly what we needed to talk about in our lesson today. I wanted to discuss the differences in that new sentence and what it meant to the girls, and I wanted to talk about who they are in reference to it.
It didn't take long for me to formulate my lesson, and I knew that I had too much material, but I trusted that the Holy Ghost would help me guide the lesson when I stood up.
The final thing though that I wanted to share with them was a video of a conference talk by Elder Uchtdorf called "Our True Identity". The talk is much longer than the short video clip I shared, but the church did a beautiful job illustrating his talk about "the ugly duckling", a story by Hans Christian Andersen. And it related so beautifully to what I was trying to teach the girls--that when life's challenges get them down (whether they be insecurity, doubt, criticism), they can remember that what they are inside is what matters. They aren't ugly ducklings like the world will tell them they are, but that someday, they will be reunited with other stellar spiritual beings like themselves (whether on Earth or after) and they will see their beauty and magnificence that was hiding below the surface.
I had copies of the new theme printed for them to hang in their rooms, and on the back (per John's excellent suggestion), I printed a part of a very famous poem by Wordsworth that is frequently quoted in General Conference:
| THERE was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, | |
| The earth, and every common sight, | |
| To me did seem | |
| Apparell'd in celestial light, | |
| The glory and the freshness of a dream. | 5 |
| It is not now as it hath been of yore;— | |
| Turn wheresoe'er I may, | |
| By night or day, | |
| The things which I have seen I now can see no more. |
| Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: | |
| The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, | 60 |
| Hath had elsewhere its setting, | |
| And cometh from afar: | |
| Not in entire forgetfulness, | |
| And not in utter nakedness, | |
| But trailing clouds of glory do we come | 65 |
| From God, who is our home: | |
| Heaven lies about us in our infancy! |
And after that, I wrote a short note to them all, telling them that they are divine.
And I bought them each a copy of the most beautifully illustrated picture book edition of "The UglyDuckling". I found it on Amazon for $10.99, and while I hesitated to spend that much on a take-home from a lesson (believe me, I stared at the "Pay Now" button on Amazon for 12 copies of the book for a long while), but I believe now that it was inspired (more about that later). And in the book, on the front inside cover, I handwrote a message saying, "Remember who you are! <3 Sister Kennedy"
Back to the actual hour of time with my cutie Mia Maids.
When I walk in the room, I seriously feel like a celebrity. The girls are already sitting down (since I'm finishing up postlude on the organ), and they start asking me about me. They comment on my dress, or my hair, or make some joke about something I do or say. It's like having the twelve best friends of my life all in one room. And if our advisor, Sister Edwards, isn't in there yet (she has a nazi attitude about not wasting time), we will just sit and talk about our weeks. It is seriously one of the best hours of my entire week, if not THE best.
Today, I walked in, and Sage handed me a "thank you" card to sign that the girls had all signed. I asked them who we were telling "thank you", and I opened it to see it say "Happy birthday, Amelia!"
What the heck? Again, holding court in front of the room, I turned to my darling little secretary, Rachel Hicken, and asked what was up with the "thank you" card for a birthday? Were we thanking Amelia for being born??
More laughter.
So I scrawled across the front of it, under the "Thank You" for being born. I then read out loud while I wrote the words inside, "Thank your mother, Amelia, for birthing you. <3 Sister Kennedy"
Rachel then announced (after going back to the cupboard) that it was "thank you", "hello", or "with love". Rachel! "With love" would have been better for a birthday! No, Sister Kennedy, the "thank you" card had a dog on the front, and who doesn't want a dog card for their birthday???
Those are the kinds of moments that I will miss. Laughing, and having fun, and sharing in happiness and goodness.
Then, Sage, who never wavers from asking the exact same questions at the beginning of class even though nobody really answers them, asked again, "Has anyone had any experiences this week that drew them closer to the Savior?"
It's usually a "cricket" response, but today four or five hands went up, and tender experiences were shared. I knew then that the Spirit was leading the lesson. And it hadn't even begun yet.
So when I stood up to teach, there was less than 30 minutes, but I didn't care. I got right to writing on the board, which helps me process what I'm saying and which the girls have come to love (believe me, I have been through the ringer on my handwriting, or the pictures I draw). I had them dictate to me the first sentences of the old theme and the new theme, and asked them what they thought.
After the initial "woah", the next answer was POTENTIAL. I left that for a moment.
We then went around the room, and I asked the girls what traits or characteristics they had inherited from their parents. Of course Sage began with "stubbornness"...and her mother, Amber, was sitting in the back because she joins us every week for class as an honorary member ;-). Isabel followed with "sarcasm".
Okay, folks. This isn't really going where I wanted it to go....
But it was good. We had lots of good answers, and I always love hearing the girls talk about themselves, because it gives me some insight into how they see themselves.
We then talked about being daughters of heavenly parents, and we talked about what qualities we might have inherited from our Heavenly Mother and Father. It was beautiful to hear their answers.
At this point, I had about five minutes left in my lesson. I still had three videos to show and scriptures to look up, and connections to make, but I dropped it all to show Elder Uchtdorf's video about "The Ugly Duckling".
And when it was done, I bore testimony to all of them about the divine potential that they have. And when they feel like they are nothing, or don't matter in the grand scheme, they can pull out the book, read the story, see my little note to them, and remember that they ARE someone. The Spirit was so sweet and tender in that moment, and I knew it was my last time with them.
Afterwards, we had breadsticks for Amelia's birthday (she's been diagnosed with celiac disease and can only eat gluten for four more days, so breadsticks were her request), and Rachel Hicken came up to me and told me that her mother and grandmother give her a picture book for every birthday and Christmas so that when she has her own family someday, she will already have a library of books for them. And she was so happy to add my book to her collection. At that point, I went to open it up so she would always remember that I had given it to her, but she looked right at me and said, "I already saw what you wrote." And she smiled at me. I threw my arms around her and just held her close.
So during class presidency meeting afterwards (where we set a bunch of good goals through December when they will all move up to Laurels), John poked his head into the classroom and told me that Brother McNiven (in the bishopric) wanted to meet with us. And I knew it. I knew it was over. I walked out to Greenie after presidency meeting to drop off my stuff, and Amber met me out there. I just started crying, and she threw her arms around me.
And then I walked in. Sure enough, I was being released, but in the tenderest mercy of all, it wasn't just me being released but it was my entire presidency. No joke, my biggest fear had been being released but watching Rachel Spencer and Stacy Anderson walk down to the YW classrooms without me. Knowing that we were all going down at the same time was such a mercy.
And kudos to Brother McNiven for allowing us to tell him a bit of how hard our lives are right now when he asked. He then wanted to know if there was anything that prevent me from serving in .... Primary. Uh, well, I can't be in a small, enclosed room with children because of my poor immune system. But, he asked, I could do something like Primary pianist?
Yes..... *sigh*
It was a bunch of little things that happened that led to me teaching today when I was planning on being gone in Illinois, but what a blessing that I wasn't. I can't even imagine the sadness I would feel now, knowing that I had missed that opportunity.
And on the way home, I shed some tears, but my thoughts went almost immediately to Rachel Spencer. As of last Wednesday during our presidency meeting, she was talking about activities through January, so I knew that what had happened today was unexpected for her. And knowing that she doesn't make friends or build connections easily, I reached out. I knew that she was going to take this incredibly hard, and it wasn't until this evening that she responded, and sure enough, she said all the things that I thought she would be feeling. And I know what she feels when she hopes the new president will call her back into young women for something. My prayers will be with her over the next month.
Here are couple of thoughts she shared over text:
But I am still thinking there is more I have to give to the YW, that I wanted to do and build and I feel cut short. I don’t feel like you do with some callings “like I’ve done all I can, it’s time to move on.” So.. I’ll just have to pray for help with this one. But please let’s still be friends. This calling has brought us together and now we will have to figure out a way to maintain these friendships!
Yes I really wanted to be part of the new changes, this historic time. But now I guess we get to be footman. People who get to support and stay friends with the YW even tho we’re out. It actually might mean more to the girls now because they’ll know we’re not doing it just because we have to for the calling.
I feel like my identity is lost a little bit and think that there is just such a learning curve to this calling. It’s like we be just finally all been in a good groove or stride the last 8 months or so. I I told him to tell the next President that I wouldn’t mind being considered for being in the young women’s still.
Thank you both for your support. It really means a lot. I could’ve have done it without your support. I have always felt that between the presidency and our advisors, that we have a pretty kick butt team and that we had a majority of the most awesome women in the ward to work with. We are a power team and I am grateful and humbled to have worked with such wonderful people. Each of you had your different approaches on teaching out to the girls, different ideas and perspectives. It was a good checks and balance system. And you both added strength and energy. I appreciate the sacrifice of time and family you both made to support this program. Thank you so much!!!
And yes, Brother McNiven asked us to stay in a "holding pattern" until the new president figures out who she wants to call and can get some training. It will probably be a month. As Stacy said, this is VERY weird. And knowing Stacy and the blabber mouth that she is, she will no doubt let the cat out of the bag that we are being released.
So as John and I went to a couple of open houses today in Plymouth and Northville, don't think I wasn't envisioning having the young women over once I have a house again....and it would be only better with a pool. Temple trip in the morning, Sister Kennedy's pool in the afternoon ;-)
It's been a joy.
And now to get a last selfie before we're released <3
Comments
Post a Comment