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Show ommunity lews A4 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2009 SPANISH FORK 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, UT 84660 Lane Henderson... . . .Publisher Namon Bills Editor Dana Robinson . Assoc. Editor The Spanish Fork News is published each Wednesday for $37.-50 per year in area and $41.50 out of area by J-Mart, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork Utah 84660. Email stories to editor@spforknews.com Email ads to ads@spforkncws.com Call us at 794-4964 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Spanish Fork News 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright © 2009 Spanish Fork News. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor or publisher. THE SPANISH FORK NEWS (USPS 024716) is published weekly for $37.50 per year by JMart Publishing, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork, UT 84660. Periodicals Postage Paid at Spanish Fork, UT. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to The Spanish Fork News, 42 East 300 North, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. DEADLINES Weddings, anniversaries, missionaries, 1st birthdays, articles, photos, letters to the editor .Friday, 12 p.m. Covering what matters most Motherhood Jobs Life After Birth Janene Baadsgaard When I was expecting my sixth child, the doctor ordered bed rest because of preterm labor. This order produced more than a healthy nine-pound fullterm baby boy. Six weeks of bed rest dramatically altered my point of view concerning work. Before this order I'd wasted my fair share of time inwardly complaining about all the work I had to do. Suddenly and without warning, I wasn't allowed to do any work at all. Actually, the first day was great. As a mother of five little rascals, the chance to rest felt sublime. The next day I was antsy to get out of bed and do something . . . anything! It took an army of people to fill in for me and I was embarrassed. By the third day I wanted to climb the walls. By the second week I felt the gears of an internal attitude adjustment suddenly shift. I understood for the first time that the ability to work was a gift - a gift that can be taken away at any moment. I vowed to never complain about having too much work to •do again. By the third week I discovered my children needed the busy hurried me less than I preciously thought. My maternal work description needed to include more than productivity. My children rather enjoyed having a mother who was right there where they left me, a mom who wasn't too busy , or stressed-out to be truly present in the moment. While I was in bed and unable to care for my children in the usual ways, I learned what else my children needed from me. Yes, they needed a mother who could fix their meals and clean up after them. More, they need a mother who had unhurried time to hug them, read stor i e s, snuggle and sing songs. While in bed all day, I found my children needed my peacef u I n e s s. patience and skin to skin , affection. The doctor didn't order a dis- tressed mother, but that of our lives on egotistical is what my children got. things like career, car payI stopped defining my ments or mortgages. We value by how much work get strapped onto a mateI accomplished during the rialistic treadmill where someone else keeps turnday. Most of us define ing up the speed until we ourselves by the work we can't get off. We live in a do. One of the first ques- society that teaches us we tions we ask a new ac- can never have enough. quaintance is "What do We need more, more, you do?" Yet we often MORE! Then eventually confuse our paid work retirement comes and we with our real worth. Our are left to wonder, "Is this culture tells us that our all there is?" vocation is a proper gauge If We want only to determine how more things - this really important we are.is all there is. Yet having So, we spend most more things satisfies our inner most needs. What satisfies is personally offering oth-. ers what we have to give - a song, a sincere thank you, a smile, forgiveness, a story, warm meal or a heart-felt hug. If we devote ourselves to offering our time, love and devotion to those in our own homes and communities we will not become bitter, empty or disillusioned. The next time you're feeling sorry for yourself because you have too much work to do, imagine being ordered to bed for the rest of your life. After the first day, you wouldn't like it there. So, put a smile on your face and be grateful. If we make it our life's work to care for others with compassion and joy we will find the only path to personal refinement and discover the ultimate fulfillment of life. Janene Baadsgaard is the author of many books including 15 Secrets to a Happy Home, Families Who Laugh - Last, On the Roller Co aster.Called Motherhood, Winter's Promise, Financial Freedom for LDS Families and The LDS Mother's Almanac. Read her past columns at www. janenebaadsgaard. blogspot.com. Letter to the Editor Building for the Arts To the Editor, My name is Robert Jensen and I am working on a scout merit badge. I think that we should get a building for the arts. The Spanish Fork community is willing to give money to sports. But not everybody is interested in sports. Some people would rather go be in a play, sing, dance and a lot more. So why spend all the money on sports when we can make even more people happy by building a place for the arts. If we could do that many people would be happy to have the ability to go express themselves. The theater at the high school is hard to get. If you just put a small fee for using the building it will pay for its creation. It won't interfere with the school program. All it takes is one building for the arts. Thank you, Robert Jensen Spanish Fork HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING ftA/WVNA • Service • Furnace Replacements • A/C Add Ons Green Sticker Financing OAC bryant HeatingftCooling Sy^tonw WHATEVER IT TAKES 798-1700 l\d T SPANISH FORK A leap in news evolution |