Comments on: Applause

By: Chrysula Winegar

Chrysula Winegar — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 03:22:09 +0000

I remember walking across E. 57th St one day with my then three children. A woman walking in the other direction was staring at us. I had the baby in the stroller and the older two holding on to either side. That’s pretty much how we went everywhere.

She smiled slightly and then as we were about to cross past each other, she shouted at me, “When are you going to STOP having children?”

But you know, for every one of her (I lived in Manhattan for 9 years), there were at least 3-4 people who had tears in their eyes when my girls sang “Amazing Grace” on the M3 bus all the way up Madison Ave. People like the lady in the fur coat with bad plastic surgery who shared her deep sense of loss at not being allowed to breastfeed her babies 50 years before. Or the quiet “you handled that beautifully” in Duane Reade after a spectacular check-out line tantrum by my then 3 yr old.

The spirit does indeed speak softly, and sometimes through others. But usually directly to us as we embrace our humanity and that of those around us without judgment. Great post. Enjoy my city, I miss it so.

By: Tamara

Tamara — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:19:47 +0000

That has got to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard.

You reacted exactly as I would have. She was crazy! I’m glad you found peace and can get her hateful words out of your head.

By: ~j.

~j. — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:08:37 +0000

Your last paragraph made me cry. Thank you for sharing those words.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:45:42 +0000

Recently I went to the store with a mildly grumpy toddler. Usually I let her hold the things I pick up as I move through the store, but if she starts to get destructive with the item (trying to tear it, throwing it on the floor) I calmly tell her no and it goes into the back of the cart out of her reach. This particular time this happened, and of course she started to cry a little bit. When I looked up a woman across the store was giving me the most vicious dirty look I have ever received from a stranger and shaking her head. The rational, healthy part of me knew that I had done exactly what was right in the situation – that letting my daughter misbehave just to keep her quiet would be bad parenting – and that I had done quite well at keeping my calm. However, the doubting part of me still feels really bad about the whole situation and when I think back I still wonder what exactly about the situation so disgusted this woman. It’s really hard not to let the criticisms of strangers go to your head, or even the criticisms of friends and family. I try to remind myself that they do not know the full facts of the situation, so their opinion is not valid. But, it’s still hard to let them go.

By: Katie Lila

Katie Lila — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:55:05 +0000

Hooray for Emily’s comment! A full-hearted Ditto. Treasure up the good, give and receive encouragement…I’m on it.

By: m&m

m&m — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:25:17 +0000

I love how you ended this piece. Learning to lean on the Lord for truth about ourselves is huge. It’s the voices in my head that have been some of the hardest to learn to tune out in my world.

My favorite scripture on that is Moroni 7:11-18 (or 19). And Elder Andersen’s recent talk about repentance was wonderful, too…that the voice of the Lord and invitations to repent are rarely the voice of chastisement.

By: mormonhermitmom

mormonhermitmom — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:03:27 +0000

Weird.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:00:56 +0000

I know Heather and she is an excellent mother who knows not only her children and their needs, but sets a visceral example for them by nurturing herself, finding joy in life and serving others.

All these comments lead me to the conclusion that we can all benefit from more encouragement. Let’s receive it. Let’s give it. Let’s treasure up the good things and let the rest sift out of our lives.

By: Velska

Velska — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:34:20 +0000

Well, that’s not all, folks!

By: Velska

Velska — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:34:00 +0000

Well, firs of all, I’d like to say, that we’ve had some people come berate us out of the blue, but not quite that theatrically. You just have to live with the fact that some people won’t like what you do, no matter what.

Another thing is, that this kind of behavior doesn’t have to be a sign of serious mental illness. Just a lack of social abilities; eccentricity or just misunderstanding and poor social skills. Something very uncomfortable happened to her that day. I dunno.

I think eccentricity should be more tolerated; yea, even celebrated. Without it the world would be full of cookie-cutter people. I hope someone thinks I’m eccentric, with my penchant for wearing something red everywhere except the temple, where everything’s white.