Here's to the Women!

Last night was our Relief Society Birthday party. It was fun to be able to visit with ladies that you don't usually get a chance to talk to...Sunday's seem to come and go and everyone is shuffled off into their own callings in different organizations. It's kind of sad when people start feeling like they don't belong to the Relief Society because they aren't able to go. We are all Relief Society sisters no matter where we serve!
I was so glad that Candice would come with me to the party. She couldn't really eat too much of what they had for dinner, but I hope she had a good time. The ladies in our ward are so great!. They are so loving and sweet with her, I know they genuinely love her.
On Sunday, we had a visiting teaching seminar. It was really good and a great reminder of what a visiting teacher should be.
They had put everyone's name in a bowl, then were calling people up to tell something about the person who's name they drew out of the bowl. It was interesting to see everyone get kind of nervous and uncomfortable...probably thinking (like I did) "What if I draw someone's name I don't know anything about, or what if someone draws my name and can't think of anything nice to say about me?" But then I looked around the room and realized that these were all my sisters and friends. Some of the ladies have been in the ward from the beginning of our ward's existence...22 years? and some of them many more years. Others have been here several years and some are new to the ward. When Carol called my name and I walked up there to draw a name, I looked out at all the women and knew I wouldn't have any problem thinking of something nice to say about any one of them.
There is a great feeling of love and sisterhood in our ward and I feel so blessed to be a part of it. There is a feeling of true charity ( I learned what that really means yesterday at class!) every Sunday when they call for a "Good News Minute". We truly rejoice in each others joy's and grieve for the sorrow's each one goes through.
I was thinking last night as Colleen shared the sad news of June's deteriorating health and passed around a card for all of us to write her a note, how wonderful it is to belong to this great organization...where we get to know and love and serve each other, support and encourage each other, comfort and take care of each other, and call each other "friend".
I think of all the women who live in the other part of the ward and realize I would have probably never even met them if we hadn't been put together as a ward. These are some of my favorite people in the world! And when I think of the women in our neighborhood...well they are just the best! I'm so grateful for these good women and the influence they have had in my life.