A couple of weeks ago Everett gave his first talk in primary. And when I say "he gave his first talk" what I really mean is that he gave really dirty looks to his peers from the pulpit while refusing to utter a single word. So I guess what I'm really, really trying to say is that I, in fact, gave Everett's first talk in primary a couple of weeks ago, complete with the "what Everett wants you to know" statements I swore I would never say. Turns out I'm that Mom now.
The good news is that it was a really good talk on following the words of the prophet to stay spiritually safe. He, I mean I (maybe we?) related it to following signs in the city on subways, taxis and scooters to stay physically safe. We kind of wrote it together, which is to say that he told me "I'm probably not going to give that talk, blah blah blah amen!" and I encouraged him by printing off awesome pictures of city vehicles and practicing it with him until we all knew that thing by heart. All this to say I wasn't totally surprised when he froze like a statue at the podium--why do you think I actually did my hair that day ;)
When my pink cheeks left the primary room after tucking a pink-cheeked Ever Knight by his Sunbeam friends at the front of the room I was reminded again that my job is to love my kids wildly as glorious individuals and children of God. In the past I've caught myself wanting everything to be perfect and everyone to act perfect and every experience to fit in a perfect little mold--a picture perfect mold even. Ha! Laughable, right? Because the truth is that not one of my children are perfect (they take after their Mother) and as I grow up in my mothering process I realize more and more that these people, these situations, these memories don't need to be fixed in a perfect way to be beautiful, what makes them great is when they are appreciated and loved in the moment. My job is to teach and my job is to love, and love hard at that--even when I'm forced to give a silly talk to a bunch of silly kids while Ever is doing nothing but making silly faces. In fact, I think in that moment it was especially important for me to show that little boy the love his Heavenly Father and earthly mother have for him so that when he remembers the first talk he ever gave in primary he doesn't remember the stage fright but instead remembers feeling loved--so, so loved. And boy is he loved.
The day after his Primary talk debut he had a playdate with a little friend and told her all about how he gave "a weawy, weawy good talk in Pwimawy about pwofets and staying safe" and when I heard about that later my heart nearly pitter-pattered right out of my chest. It may not have looked perfect in the moment but shoot, I think I'm chalking this whole thing up as a first talk win!
The first part of the talk was spent with a grumpy face, in the middle he mostly turned his back on the crowd and then for the grand finale he nuzzled his head into my neck and had a death grip on my body. Photo cred goes to James who was in the back of the room cracking up at the Wiggy circus being performed up front!
And PS, he just came and sat by me on the couch and when he saw his picture on the screen he said, "I love my Mom! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
Amen, baby boy! Amen!
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