Lady Cady

Faith * Family * Life

Big Holes

Have you ever missed anyone you care about? It can be rough! Sometimes we miss people that have only gone away for a short time and other times we miss people we won’t see again until we too pass through to the other side. No matter how long or short the absence, know you’re not alone with the holes in your heart.

Sometimes it’s for the day.
Sometimes it’s for a night.
Sometimes it’s for a lifetime
Until they’re back into our sight.

Sometimes it’s one who’s been a friend
For years out of our life.
Other times it’s family –
Like a husband or a wife.

Sometimes it is a parent
Who taught us how to love.
Or sometimes just a sibling
(Who on occasion, we have shoved.)

Perhaps it is a child who
Has gone and moved away.
Perhaps a child we just met
But we miss them anyway.

Sometimes there are some phone calls.
Sometimes a note or two.
But sometimes we are simply left
Alone and feeling blue.

To someone on the outside
It’s hard to share oh just how much
We miss them and we long for
Their love and tender touch.

That just beneath the surface,
Where tenderness tends to be,
Is the place where our Big Holes are
That others just can’t see.

Big Holes that are created
When we have to say Goodbye.
For maybe just a short time
Or until the Other Side.

Big Holes because they left us –
They took some Heart and left.
They probably didn’t know it –
They were committing a Grand Theft.

You sometimes might not know it
But we often think of them
And that our time together
Was such a priceless gem.

Often, we may wonder
If they ever think of us.
Or if they are too busy
As we learn to readjust.

Often it is our hope that
When we again see one another,
The joy that we do then feel
Will be unlike any other.

Those Big Holes will all be filled in,
And our hearts again complete,
Whether at our favorite Lunch Spot
Or with them in a Heaven’s Seat.

So, if you have Big Holes now
That are lingering in your heart,
Know that you are not alone
Even though you are apart.

Others have Big Holes too.
And your loves ones think of you.
Someday those Holes will all fill in
Because your loved ones still miss you.

Sacrament Ponderings

Sometimes I am blown away by how people act during Church on Sundays. Maybe I’m a grumpy old lady or maybe my own life experiences have helped me appreciate what the Savior has done for us all. Even still, I am the first to admit that I have far to go, to improve myself. And that’s okay. What matters is that we try each day to be more like Christ. So let us all strive to try a little harder and a great place to begin is by being more appreciative during the Sacrament each week.

If the Savior sat beside me,
When I took the sacrament,
Would I ponder on the things I do
Or what the Savior meant.

Would I be angry at the deacon
Fumbling as he learned,
Or thinking of those around me
And their many deep concerns.

Would I whisper to my neighbor
Of things that matter very little,
Making hearts already tender
Grow more fragile and more brittle.

Or would I seek distraction,
(Play a game or two or three)
Forgetting all about the things
The Savior did for me.

I hope I wouldn’t look up
And see the sadness on His face
At all of those around us
Who don’t seem to care they’re in this place.

I hope I’d be more grateful
For all that He has done,
And marvel that beside me
Was God’s beloved Son.

I hope I’d look up at His face
And gaze into His eyes,
And marvel at the depth thereof
And the love that therein lies.

Gently take His hand in mine,
Feel the prints upon each one,
A reminder of His Sacrifice
And that the Battle has been Won.

Though He may not be here now
Sitting in this place
I still should treat each Sacrament
As if that were the case.

Next time that you are waiting
For the bread to pass your way,
Make sure your reverence isn’t something
That’s simply on display.

And when you’ve passed it on
And it’s someone else’s turn,
Remember that you promised
To help others with concern.

That you promised to take upon His name –
As if He was just there,
To help him do His Sacred Job
With more love and with more care.

For what a gift the Savior gave
To me and all of you –
Reverently and humbly
Is the least that we can do.

Blessings {A Poem by Madalyn!}

I have another Madalyn poem to share! This is one she wrote just for fun. No school assignment this time. She said I can share it here, so of course I am. I hope you love it too!

Blessings
By Madalyn Cady (March 2022 – age 10)

Living, laughing, loving me,
That’s what I get from my family.
Helping, hoping, heaps of love,
That’s what I get from my Father above.

Playtime Adventures

Isn’t playing outside so much fun? I have fond memories of playing at the park or my own backyard when I was a kid. My kids all sure love it too. I love the wonder and excitement on their faces when they are pushed on the swings, ride their bikes or even just play in the dirt. And while I’m sure they are happy to play whether I’m there or not, I’m glad they let me tag along on the adventure sometimes. 🙂

Higher and higher I like to swing –
Higher and higher still,
Till my little nose touches the sun
And my feet, the clouds do feel.

Then when I’m done swinging so high,
Up in the air so high,
I climb to the top of the big plastic slide
Where the way down feels like I can fly.

Then off to the dirt I like to race,
Where I drive my trucks on the ground,
In the dirt around and around
Till I find treasure that’s never been found.

The treasure then goes to my beautiful mother,
Who guards it with all of her love,
I eat a quick snack then race off again
To swing with the clouds above.

Before too long, it’s time to go in
But I had so much fun while I played.
In all the time I spent outside
Never, not once would I trade.

Book Recommendation – McBroom

I am a fan of funny books. I am really a fan of funny books that are appealing to the whole family. I came across these little books a few years ago and I read them to my kids. I had never heard of them before but once I started reading them, I was glad we had added them to our little home library! We laughed and laughed the whole time we read them. We would quote lines from them to each other at random times and laugh some more. The best part is they still pop up everywhere around our house because my kids still think they are funny and read them. I found one the other day that my daughter had been reading (again), so I thought I’d share here since we think they are that good around our house. 🙂

The books are called McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm and Here Comes McBroom by Sid Fleishman. These are short, tiny little books (63 and 79 pages) so they aren’t going to be a big time commitment if you decided to read them in your family as well. If you would like your kids to read them on their own, the back of the book says the age level is 7 or 8 and up. (Just know you are missing out on the fun if you do that.) The back of the book also says they are a 2nd grade reading level. Who decided that? I don’t’ know. Is it true? I don’t know. I finished 2nd grade a few years ago and I still read and enjoyed them. Also, I think my daughter was 6 when I read them to her, and she loved them. Which is why she still pulls them out and reads them at 10.

Both books have three short Tall Tales about Josh McBroom and his family. What I do know is be sure and start with McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm. This book tells the tale of how Josh McBroom and his family end up with a farm of eighty acres stacked on top of each other. Ah, you’re curious now aren’t you! Here Comes McBroom is equally as funny as McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm. You probably could read it first if you really wanted to, but it might make more sense if you read it second. Here is the description on the back of the book and bookstores near you (such as Amazon) if you want to find out more.

When Josh McBroom learns that the eighty acres of Iowa farmland he’s purchased are all stacked up on top of each other at the bottom of a muddy little pond, he thinks he’s been bamboozled. But McBroom knows he’s got the better of the bargain when the pond dries up to reveal an acre of soil so rich that seeds spring up into full-grown plants in no time and even nickels grow into quarters.

Nickles grow into quarters? Uh Huh. But you have to read the books yourself to find out more. Bonus, your kids will enjoy the books even more the more animated you are as you read them. (Lingering habit of mine from my professional teaching days…)

If you are looking for some funny books that your whole family just might enjoy, check these out!

Happy reading!

Time Spent with a Friend

Do you have an amazing friend or two? Friends come and go in life (and I’m all for letting go of the bad ones) but every wonderful, amazing person you have the privilege of calling friend can bless your life in so many ways. I’d rather have only one amazing friend than one hundred just okay friends any day. If you have a wonderful friend in your life, let them know how much you appreciate them! And in return, be the kind of friend you want to have. Before you know it, the world will be a wonderful place.

Oh, the time spent with a friend!
They heal your heart and help it mend.
They always listen the right amount
As you share your woes, and tales’ recount.
They make you laugh until you cry.
They hug you tight till your tears run dry.
They cheer you on. They help you fight.
They dig you out when your cars stuck tight.
They never laugh at your precious dreams –
They know how much that each one means.
They feed your soul and your belly too
When life takes its biggest hits at you.
They help you care for those you love –
It seems they’re straight from Heaven above.
So, if you’ve found a priceless friend,
Hold to them tight until the end.
Let them know how much they mean –
For it might not always, that way seem –
Because there’s nothing as precious as the find
Of a friend who’s smart, loving, and kind.