Tender mercies

​Some days I am blown away by the seemingly small, yet utterly important ways my Heavenly Father shows me that I am loved and understood. Eric is out of town for the weekend, so I get to play “single parent” for two days. I know so many dear friends and family who, for them, this is a daily reality. I have NO IDEA how they do this! The mental and physical toll is so exhausting. I am truly lucky to have such an amazing partner.

Saturday is bath night for Elise, so she can be clean and groomed for church the next day. Bath time is ALWAYS a struggle, a battle of wills, a slippery fight with long soapy limbs and high pitched screeches that echo in the bathroom. These fits frequently escalate to a seizure in the tub, so we do our best to prevent the meltdown as much as possible.

Unfortunately, prevention is a two-man team effort, and I’m down a man. I was dreading tonight. I knew if she had a seizure in the tub I would be on my own to pull her stiff and slippery body out.

Tonight went so smoothly, though! A primary song from church kept running through my head so I started to sing. Elise loves music and she recognizes all the primary songs. She sung with me and nodded her head while I scrubbed her down. We sang song after song and were still singing while I was drying her off and getting her dressed. There was such a sweet and gentle spirit in the room, and I got choked up as I looked in her beautiful eyes while I sang “Families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father’s plan. I always want to be with my own family, and the Lord has shown me how I can...”

​Now Elise is tucked into bed, peaceful and sleeping. I am grateful for tender mercies which help me to understand that even though there are bad days and I mess up big time, there are also moments of sweet peace and comforting quiet. There are moments when I can look into my daughter’s eyes and not only see a precious child of God, but feel a divine connection which I am a vital part of.