Pioneers Don't Cry
I still hear my mother's voice telling me not to cry over spilled milk. I was seven or eight years old and spilled nearly a half gallon. But would it be all right if I cry over spilled Sugar plum body wash on the carpet? Because, I did. I shed a tear or two, when I discovered our handful of a three year old had dumped an entire bottle of body wash on the carpet. My word, if ever I turn away from her this the kind of thing she does. I was making dinner at the time and I really should have insisted she help me. But, I had thought her brother and sister were playing with her and I did not want to disturb good play. She must have slipped away from them. There's not really a good solution to lots of soap in the carpet. You just sort of have to hope to do your best the get it out.
I thought a nice painting activity would get the messiness out of a three year old, but I am pretty sure it only turned on the messy switch. Annie is not anything like Alex at this age, who patiently made a beautiful icon with me...last Thursday it was a lot of toothpaste on the carpet, Friday she dumped a spice jar of cinnamon sugar spice on the carpet after breakfast (discovered my vacuum was kaput), and the day after soap was blueberry yogurt.
We have just finished the 4th book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little house series. We are already reading the next volume. Each time we read one of the Little House books I am astonished at their grit. I wish I had grit like that. The trials Pa endured losing homes and crops and so forth are just a astounding and he did it all with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.
Here I am fretting and crying over finances, medical bills, home school and soap in the carpet and they did not cry over anything. I do not think this is a bad thing. It's okay to have emotion and feel it within, but having crying fits exacerbates the situation and is not necessarily fruitful. It can certainly waste a lot of time and energy. I think there is a certain amount of fortitude and humility in repressing excessive displays of emotion.
I am not preaching all this as though I am a model of this skill. I am simply saying there is something to admire in the ability to take life's hardships and carry on with dignity and spirit.
There are also a lot Biblical passages about carrying on with a cheerful heart:
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