Sunday Mornings are pretty much anything BUT easy lately.
I feel like I’ve been complaining about them a lot + I’m really sorry.
But at the same time, I have an appreciation for documenting feelings. The happy AND sad ones.
I know that one day, whether it be 10 years from now or next month or next November, I will look back + appreciate the harder times. I will be able to see how far we have come as a family, the ways I have grown personally + the strengthening perspective that I have gained.
Coming up with the right words for my feelings has been tricky. Pictures can be so deceiving, ya know? I could go on to tell you how amazing my day was + how much I love these boys in my life. Which is always true, but I feel like laying it out there, no sugar added, is the best route today. Brace yourself. 🙂
A couple of months ago we caught word that a new Bishopric was being called + that Jon would soon be released!! I did a back-handspring AND a heel click. No more trying to convince Jonah to keep his tie on when he wants to do anything BUT keep his tie on + that his baseball bat doesn’t fit in the church bag week after week. At least not by myself. No more complaining about how hard Sunday’s are. No more crying in the mother’s lounge. No more late night meetings. Hallelujah! I will never forget when Jonah stood up on the end of bench, tip toes ‘n all, hand waving above his head, screeeching “DAAAD!!!!! Hiiiiii DADDDY!!! YOU SEE ME?!? + wouldn’t stop for nothing until Jon waved back. As well as the times that he marched up to the stand, plopped down on Jon’s lap, held perfectly still + fell asleep in his arms.
All of this excitement + celebration!! AND THEN, Jonboy gets called right BACK into the Bishopric for the third time. My heart dropped. I am ever so grateful for our sensitive Stake President who called our whole family into the room to ok the calling with each of us. Recognizing that this is a complete family effort. He let me know how grateful he is for our service in the ward. He acknowledged that family life would radically change again. He emphasized all of the positive sides of this arduous journey + let us know that we are not alone. His words have stuck with me. Jon is such a blessing to everyone he meets. He is literally the sunshine in my life. He willingly goes the extra mile to make things happen. He works hard + is such a loving father to our boys. He is a devoted Priesthood holder who loves The Lord + he is the most self motivated person in my life. Knowing all of this first hand, why was I so surprised when he was called back into the Bishopric? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little frustrated, nervous + maybe even disappointed. Selfish, I know.
I remember a talk I heard from our Stake President about his wife NEVER complaining a single time about any of his Church Callings + how she has stood right at his side every step of the way. Then I heard Jon repeat something similar in his testimony about me + I thought: Oh no way. There is nooo way he’s serious. I’m over here covered in smashed goldfish crumbs + crayon dusties, distracting everyone within in a 20 feet radius of us during the ENTIRE Sacrament Meeting. My eyes have been fighting tears since before it began + my whisper telling Jonah to use his inside voice for the 70th time is lacking all form of patience. I’m not sure I have stopped complaining in my head since my eyes opened this morning. WAKE UP CALL, Sister Parrish. You are going to be okay. You’ve got this. Jon believes in you. Jonah believes in you. Riggins believes in you. God hasn’t placed me here you here mistake, you can do this.
Oh, the strength it takes! My heart breaks for anyone who is alone raising children as their regular routine. It is tough freakin’ stuff. Whatever circumstances that present themselves in your life, causing you to walk through daily tasks alone, my heart swells with you. I want to give you a hug + tell you how much I admire you. I applaud, respect + love you in every aspect. I’ve got two little boys who need me for every single task + even on the days when Jon is home with me, it is still daunting at times. Parenthood will derail you, challenge you + light up your life all in the same breath. I still blows my mind. Hang in there!
Sunday is a special day that is supposed to be light + happy + all things family, right? For the most part it is. But somewhere along the way it has started becoming the day where little things like spreading the toothpaste wrong causes me to cry. From putting on 6 pairs of shoes, finding the right church toys, ironing shirts on time + the balancing act that it takes to get my Houdini bag of tricks {entertainment for 3 hours} + Riggy into the Church in one piece without letting Jonah get hit by a car in the parking lot, all without raising my voice is a bit intimidating. I’m tired just typing it out. All of it frustrates me. It’s not easy. So, why do it? Why not just stay home? I do it because I know it’s worth it. I know that we are blessed beyond measure for being diligent + teaching our boys where true happiness is rooted. Jon says to us before he leaves each Tuesday night for meetings, “No place I would rather be than at home with my favorite buddies.” These words have been a great comfort to me. Jon is amazing + I count my lucky stars that he is my better half. The light will come, I know it will.
Last night we were over with some of our dear friends roasting s’mores + pizzas + we came home to an a anonymous package on our doorstep. This book + a note thanking me personally for my example of strength + effort. Letting me know that it has not gone unnoticed. It left me feeling like I could climb whatever mountain I’m asked from here on out. People are good. God is GOOD. Amazing, really. Me complaining about my Sunday might seem like absolutely nothing when compared to what’s on your plate. But in the big scheme of things, it’s all kinda the same. We are ALL fighting hard battles. Whether it’s known to the world or internally, we’ve all got our issues. So, BE A NICE HUMAN! Go out of your way to ask someone in the grocery how their day is going, deliver a plate of cookies to the new fam around the corner or just simply write a thank you note to your parents. We all need kindness. We all deserve to be happy. Go scatter some sunshine, spread your light to the rest of your world + in return, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the way you feel about yourself!
okay i loved this! my husband is in medical school and last sunday he had to be in the hospital all day from 10am-8pm and it broke my heart. i have a one year old little girl, live thousands of miles away from any family and felt completely alone. i had to teach RS and handle her all at once. after church was over i was carrying my baby, her carseat, my diaper bag, and a huge bag with paintings of the temple (for my lesson) and nobody offered to help me! it was a HUGE wakeup call for me to open my eyes and offer help to others when they seem overloaded. we are so lucky to have husbands who help and love us and that we aren’t doing this alone. thanks for your words!
Ging you have the BIGGEST heart. I look up to you so much!! I’ve never met Jon but I can tell he is such a great man and I’m sure he does great things in the church. Keep your chin up. You’re doing an amazing job with those little ones. xox
Very honest and very heartfelt. I understand what and how you feel! I think you have the biggest and most beautiful heart. You are an inspiration to me!
Best wishes to you from Sweden 🙂
Oh, and where are those cool bracelets from? The ones with charm are great!
Lizzie — I wish you were here in SLC, we could cry together. I know how you feel + it is so real. PLUS teaching relief Society??!?! I’m sending you a virtual chest bump, mama! That is something to be proud of. I’m so glad that you left me this comment. Lets be social friends, we can help each other make it! I would love to find you on instagram. Do you have insta? I’m @gparrish. Look me up + leave me a comment so I know who you are! Now that I have a phone again I can do this. 🙂 I hope you’re off to a good week + that next Sunday isn’t quite as crazy! Thanks again for stopping by. xx
Adri — You ask Kylee if we were talking last weekend how much we love you! Thank you for saying such sweet heartfelt things. You made my morning. It’s scary to put your raw feelings out on the internet, so hearing such kind things bring peace to me. Thanks for being so supportive. I hope that you guys are loving life across the sea. 🙂 Know how much I adore you! xx
Anonymous — Hi there. I feel silly not calling you by name, but it’s all good. Thanks for leaving me a message yesterday! How cool for us to be connected when you’re all the way in Sweden. What a compliment for me. I need to post my bracelets. I pretty much wear the same jewelry every single day. Ha! I will post about them soon. Thanks for reading. Happy Tuesday to you, sweet friend. xx
Ginger- you’ve done it again. Here i am, sitting at my desk at work, crying like a little baby. My husband was out of town last week for work, and I totally have a WHOLE new respect for single mothers, mothers with travelling-all-the-time husbands, and mothers who have no support from their spouse! I know JUST what you’re going through, and it IS hard. Mothership IS hard. But the rewards that come with it are just too good not to do it! You are so inspiring to me, and I love reading about your beautiful family. Thank you for sharing your life. The good AND the hard. 🙂
pretty much have felt every bit of what you said + agree with every word. you are such a beautiful person + mommy inside and out. your honesty is refreshing and there is no greater calling then motherhood
This was written so perfectly. I couldn’t help but giggle when you described how you are in Sacrament because that is exactly how I feel, and I am happy I’m not the only one. I just admitted to my mom last night for the first time that I want to move just so my husband would be released from the Bishopric and it’s only his first time. I seem so silly after reading you have gone through this 3 times. Thank you for the uplifting/funny post. I think I can make it through another Sunday. Oh and plus, I was holding my baby and car seat and opening the door for my 2 yr old and didn’t see her and whacked her in the forehead only to walk in with this GIANT black goose egg on her. I felt like I should get the worst mom award for a year and everyone coming in to the meeting had to stop and comment or ask. I should rephrase— I think I can survive another Sunday but hopefully my girls will survive as well. 🙂
I loved this post! I totally get it. My husband is a resident at UCLA in internal medicine and attended church 5 times the first year we were here. Two months after moving here, I got called as Relief Society president. I almost laughed. So I get my kids ready for a babysitter on Sunday mornings, go to meetings and then wrestle my three kids at church by myself and then come home and make dinner and get kids in bed. Sundays are so exhausting. I have to drag myself through Sundays sometimes. But I am so thankful we get the opportunity to serve in our church and thankful to be part of the Gospel. Tough though. So know you have someone praying for you and rooting for you in another state but the same situation.
I nearly never comment on blog posts but I love this one! So down to earth and heartfelt makes me want to try harder and be better and do all I can to lift those around me. We have several teens in our ward that sit with the wives and help out with bishopric members young families. I wish every ward had that, as it’s a blessing for all. The fact that you do it alone IS amazing and I hope you don’t forget it!
Oh a less significant note I have a similar striped skirt and love your pairing with the yellow floral blouse, may I ask where you got it?
okay… this one has had me going since I read it. and I just haven’t been able to comment until now because I was soaking it all in! you want to know why? i’ll tell you. because you’re teaching me that it’s cool to not always have it all together. i mean, who really, actually does. but somewhere along the line I picked up that faking it until you make it was the only way. turns out, nobody wants to be that girl’s friend. but you and your willingness to share the happy AND sad parts, and looking up to you even more because of it, gives me hope that there’s another way. to be connected by the honesty of our days and share in where we find the strength to pick up and keep going. i like you and your style a whole lot ginger parrish.
oh ps. i snagged that same BB skirt and please oh please, share your non-sheer ways!
I will never forget the Sunday I went to church with you a few weeks back. I remember thinking HOW ON EARTH do you survive sacrament with both boys?! Sacrament brought the wiggles out of Riggy like I have never seen. But I will also never forget the conversation we had in the car on the way to market this year about the importance of obedience + just giving it your best. You WILL be blessed for battling through those hard Sundays. Whether it be in this life or in the life to come, the blessings will come because the Lord loves you for giving it your best. That is all he expects from us. You amaze me every single day + I hope to become half the mama that you are to those boys someday. I love you ging! Always have + I always will.