Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Spotlight on Sara Morris Cardon




Nothing happens by accident. I am starting to be a firm believer, that everything-- every. little. thing. happens for a reason and a purpose. I have been amazed doing this project just how connected every random thing has been to the bigger pictures.

I have been on a blogging break for the past few weeks. A friend of mine from the Netherlands first joked and then was serious about coming to visit for the summer and I had to clean an organize my house just enough as to not appear to be a complete hoarder. This happens--by the end of the school year I have let things go enough to be a bit out of control and then I spend the first part of the summer throwing away and donating so much stuff. Anyway, we have a Dutchman visiting for the summer. He is here experiencing the wonderful North Carolina summer and bugs. Opportunity of a lifetime. ;)

So that explains why I have been slacking on two Spotlights that I owe. Sean P. Ferguson chose a person I will do next, but Sara is the person chosen at random by my friend Craig Wallwork and I have spent a while thinking about what I'd say about her.

I go to church with Sara. I know her because we have met and had casual conversations at church.

I am a Mormon. So, I spend a lot of time at church. Like, a ton of time. In my faith we are not only required to spend a lot of time in services, but we are also required to volunteer to do the work that to make those long services happen. All of us. From the ministry to the sunday school teachers to the people who clean the building and the bathrooms-- it is all done by volunteer. There a plenty of jobs that are difficult. And there are plenty of jobs that I have never done and hope to never have to do. But I think one of the ones that is most dreaded is the job of nursery leader/worker. This requires a person, and usually a mom (though I have known men to do this job) to spend 2 out of the 3 hours of Sunday service looking after the children who are 18 months to 3 years old. Sometimes this is an easy 3-4 kid group. But most of the time it is a job that requires the kind of person who can cheerfully hold two screaming babies in a chorus of a dozen crying babies while singing a song and sniffing bums to see who has pooped. For TWO HOURS. For free. People say no to this job, or "calling" as we call it. All the time. I know they do because I've been on the side of coordinating who to ask to do this job. I would say a good 8 out of 10 people say no. So, as you can imagine-- the people who say yes are... Amazing.

Sara is one of the amazing ones. Once you get in the calling of nursery leader, there are only two ways out, basically. One is--getting a new calling that requires you to be released. And the other is having a baby. At least, those are the only ways I've ever gotten out of that job. And yes, I've done it. The few conversations I've had have been with Sara in the nursery room, me sitting on the floor in a mess of toys and babies and she-- very cheerfully arranging snacks and a lesson and a craft, and all while keeping her cool in a thankless and often frustrating job while 8-9 months pregnant, no less.

I have done this job while pregnant too. And I don't have to tell you what a chore it is to pick up after and care for a bunch of little creatures when you are super pregnant. Some of it is just logistical-- it gets very hard to bend with a human occupying the space of your abdomen. And the rest is just pure exhaustion from the work of growing a human. I assumed that once she had that baby she would be released to sit with the other ladies and peacefully rock and sooth her tiny new baby. But apparently, Sara is one of those amazing women who doesn't mind doing the dirty work. She was back working in the nursery as soon as she and her baby were recovered enough to go back to church. And I think that says a lot about her.

Sara is the quiet and calm kind of strong who can cheerfully care for little children. This ability is what keeps our species going. Not everyone is motherly. And not all mothers should be mothers. But Sara is one of those very sweet people who not only has the kindness and patience and long suffering to care for her own family 24/7, but she also has enough patience left over to volunteer 2 hours a week wiping noses and smelling bottoms and calming anxieties of other people's children. This is no small task, and I for one am completely amazed and in awe. Thank you, Sara Morris Cardon!  <3 p="">

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