2 complaints and 2 stories and then I'm done

I want to remember these 2 stories from TIME OUT FOR WOMEN. 
Before I tell you about them I have 2 complaints. 

Just 2:


1. As much as I LOVED Michael McClean and his music and his messages...he is QUITE THE ENTERTAINER.... And not even one ounce of boring..... HOWEVER, a few times he went a little too far in his humor concerning the elderly. Not only will I be one someday, (sooner than most reading this), But I have always felt a protection and honor to those older than we are. Michael McClean and his wife have brought BOTH sets of parents home to live with them so I do have GREAT RESPECT for him....I just wish he would have been a tad gentler in the way he talked about the elderly. I admit, maybe I am being too sensitive? I'm curious if anyone reading this was at TOFW and whether or not it bothered you also.


2. The speakers were on SO LOUD, especially on Saturday. I heard a few women complaining about their ears hurting so it wasn't just me and my sensitive ears. I kept my ear plugs in and it was still too loud. I did ask the main coordinator if they could turn down the volume some but I couldn't hear her reply back, but no, it wasn't turned down. Dennis and I finally took our chairs and sat against a wall, away from the direction of the speakers.


But that was it! SO worth it!


Now my 2 stories I want to remember:

This one was by DeAnne Flynn. She told about a woman who had a son she was very worried about. He had awful friends and was doing raunchy things. She couldn't reach him no matter how she tried. After much prayer she decided that she would go in his room every night while he was sleeping and say, "I love you. I always will." She did this night after night. A year or so later he started getting better. He made good friends, got better grades and was later called on a mission. After his mission he heard his mom consoling a friend of hers who was having similar problems with her teenage son. He heard his mom say something like, "Just weather it out. It will get better."  This is when her RM son spoke up, "That's not it! Don't you remember? You came into my room every night and whispered I love you in my ear."


Loved that! The older I get the more I realize it's more about the relationship and love.



Now for my 2nd story.
This one was told by Wendy Ulrich:

When Jonas Salk he was 6 years old he was playing with some little toy cars at the kitchen table. He had his glass of milk right at the edge. His mother kept telling him to move the milk away from the edge but he ignored her and kept on playing with his cars.  She warned him a few more times to no avail. Soon his glass of milk spilled all over the floor. Instead of getting angry and saying, "See what happens when you don't listen to me!!' as most mothers would ...instead she calmly said, "Jonas, what can you learn by this?" He attributed the way his mother handled his failures to his later success in discovering the polio vaccine! He grew up not being afraid to fail. Interesting huh?

Here's a quote I need to read everyday.
It's by Mariama Kallon who was the first speaker Saturday morning:
"We become what we want to be 
by being what we want to become."





15 comments:

Susan Anderson said...

Great stories, both!

(I so dislike when the volume is too loud. I carry earplugs with me wherever I go.)

=)

Grandma Honey said...

I thought I was the only one who did that!

Karen Mortensen said...

Thanks for reminding me about those too stories. That was the best weekend.

Dad and Susan said...

You are such a good note taker and rememberer. Love, Dad and Susan

Annette said...

I have to agree with you on Michael McClean. I have heard him a few times and the first time was great... he does have some great stuff to say but he isn't a favorite of mine.

And I'm sorry things were so loud. Maybe they have to do it for those who are hard of hearing? Like me? We have always been in a huge room so the level wasn't as loud. LOVED the stories! DeAnne Flynn told a story about her niece and caramels last year that was amazing. I often wonder how they have so many stories that seem to be interesting enough to share. Although I did have a great experience last week with the Spirit. I should add that to my blog. After all someday that will be my journal. :-) Love you friend.

Grandmotherfairy said...

Thanks for sharing the stories for those of us who didn't go....

Heather (The Menu Mama) said...

Great stories! I would be the red-in-the-face mom saying "That's why I told you...!!!" but I like Jonas Salk's mother's approach better. I will have to work on that.

Eileen said...

Thanks for the tip about the ear plugs, I will have to remember that!
I hate that too, I notice it even at weddings and other functions, the music is always so loud and the guests have to yell over the music to have a conversation.
And movies are the same way, the background music always seems louder than the dialog, I've noticed that even on television.
I thought our hearing was supposed to go as we aged, but with me it's my eyesight.

I loved your stories, and I especially loved the story of the Mom with the wayward son. I got chills reading that. Really beautiful.

As far as the entertainer making fun of old people, well, I don't mind old people making fun of themselves and the challenges they have to face growing old, but it does bother me when 'younger' people make fun of the elderly.
It seems hurtful and I guess I take it personal and think to myself "Is that what I have to look forward to? People making fun of me?"

Love to you,
Eileen
PS ~ I knew what a bog was because I've heard the term bog a lot growing up, my Mom used to say how her relatives would talk about the 'bogs in Ireland'. It's a wetland, sort of like a swamp I guess, but different plant growth, more like a muddy field with lots of moss. Her relatives used to talk about getting stuck in the bog, or losing a boot in the bog. I guess that's where the phrase "getting bogged down" comes from.

Richard said...

I'm sure the speaker volume was up out of concern for the elderly.

McKenna Heasley said...

I loved every one of those stories and thoughts! Very good things to remember about parenting.

Grandma Honey said...

Heather- I reacted the same way you said you do. I thought if I didn't they would just keep doing it over and over again.

Karen- I wish you would blog about your favorite part of TOFW.

Susan- Without my notes I would remember not much.

Grandmotherfairy- You're welcome!:)

Annette- YES please do write about it on your blog. I've always loved your spiritual insight.

Eileen- I also am surprised my hearing has become more sensitive through the years. I thought it would be the other way around.

Richard- Yeah :)))

McKenna- Thank you! Even though they weren't mine of course, I'm glad you liked them.

Eileen said...

Oh, Jill, you asked about Jayden, I'm sorry I forgot to tell you in my earlier comment that he is much better! He went back to school today. Thanks so much for asking.

And I agree with you about photos inside the hotels! I would love it if my sister had thought to take pictures inside. I hear that European hotels are notorious for how tiny the guest rooms are.
I would like to have seen if the inside of the hotel was as pretty as the outside.
I'll have to ask them all about it, and I'll ask about the windows on the roof too. Diane and Steve will be back on Wednesday and I have loads of questions for them!

It's amazing to think that so many of those buildings are older than our country!

Sorry for responding to you on your own blog, but I'm never sure if people will return to see a response.
Love to you,
Eileen

Karen Mortensen said...

PS I must have been out to lunch when Michael was talking. What did he say that was off? I can't remember.

Lisa said...

I read all you TOFW posts but was disappointed that you didn't have one reflection on what John Bytheway. I thought the photography story was funny & it ought to make the point that when mingling with stars you need to act quickly & do since so much is going on. I'm GLAD that you had such a great time & what a GREAT GIFT~

PS: We stopped by today, but you were gone. Sorry we missed you! Have a GREAT WEEK!

Scrapally said...

you ARE sensitive and sweet, and that's just two of the many
reasons we love you! thank you for sharing your insights to TOFW, I really missed not being able to go. I hope they come back here again sometime. You gave me a good idea...ear plugs at the youth dances! It is quite torture to me to listen to over 3 hours of that loud stuff...every month!

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