Happy Mother’s Day

We woke this morning to find snow once again covering the ground.  I packed the snow gear in the attic just last week, and I am not going to pull it back down.  While we were are church it continued to snow and we accumulated around 4 inches.  You might think this is crazy to have snow on Mother’s Day, and it really is; but this is Alaska. 
If we had to have snow I am glad it was today and not yesterday.  Yesterday I ran the Earth Day Triathlon for the third year in a row, and I was able to run it with my very good friend Ambee Hill.  She and I have trained together for the last three years, and have competed in many races around the island.  Together we have run a half marathon for the last three years, and various other 5 and 10 k races.   She and her family will be transferring with the Coast Guard this summer to California, and leaving me to find someone else to run with.  (Any volunteers?)  So in many ways this was a bitter sweet race for me.  It is the last race that Ambee and I will run together, it was also an accomplishment for the training I have done.  This was my best time yet, coming in at 1:59:28 for 1 k swim, 5 k run, and 20 k bike.
Over the past years I have struggled with some health problems, which of course may have slowed me down but didn’t stop me.  I found out almost two months ago that I have a plethora of food allergies, that have been the culprit to the last several years of health struggles.  So for the last couple of months I have had to completely readjust my diet.  This means that while I still make the wonderful homemade bread for my kids, it is off limits to me.  Other things that are off limits are oats, barley, rye, corn, soy, eggs, sesame, garlic, peas, peanuts, and tree nuts.  I have also found on my own that dairy, rice, potatoes, and most other starches are not very good for me for the time being.  So my diet has consisted of mostly vegetables and fruit (most of which I have been juicing) with occasionally some chicken or fish, and dry beans.  With this kind of diet change I have felt better, had more energy, and been able to train harder.  While it is a very great challenge to face each day with my limited food options, I can say that when I stick with the right foods I do feel better physically, if not always emotionally.  
Now with this race down, I am on to facing bigger and better challenges.  One thing I have noticed when evaluating my life is that I need the challenges to motivate me, to keep me going.  This does not mean that I am eager for those challenges to come along.  There are some I welcome, like training for the next big race; and others come when I least expect them.  What ever they may be, challenges are a part of our lives, and it is best to face them head on.  At least, that is what I keep telling myself. 
Today I officially begin another big challenge, I was called and sustained to be the Relief Society President.    This is one challenge where my first instinct is to hide, somewhere that one can find me.  Being a leader has never been something that I have sought for.  I enjoy being in the back ground, and just taking care of my job on my own.  This new venture is both overwhelming and frightening to me; but I know that my Heavenly Father will be strengthening me all along the way.  Just as I am strengthened physically when I follow the guidelines I have been given, I will be strengthened spiritually by following the promptings of the spirit.  I know that Heavenly Father cares about all his children, and in doing my part to serve his children I am serving him.   One day I may look back at today and feel that my stress was unnecessary, but for now the burden of leadership feels heavy.  I pray that those I serve will be patient with my weaknesses. 
So here is too the future, and what ever challenges may come I hope we all remember to face them head on.  And Happy Mother’s Day to all you wonderful mothers out there that face your own set of challenges each day and make the best of any situation.