It's My Pity Party - and you're invited

***Sorry for the lack of posts and pictures as of late. We are experiencing technical difficulties at the Neeley household - soon to be resolved by the purchase of a new computer. Stay tuned for a better blog!***

Several weeks ago I started a real pity party for myself. It was pathetic, truly. The theme of my party went something like this: "I don't have any friends. There's no one I can turn to for help. Why don't we live closer to family? I'm all alone. I'm lonely. Woe is me, woe is me."

Before you think I'm seconds away from curling up in a ball mumbling to myself, I should explain there were some instigating factors for my upbeat and cheerful attitude. The first, and probably most significant contributor, is that I'm pregnant (due 3/10) so I have all those lovely hormones knocking around inside of me turning me into an emotional loon. The second was that my dear friend Jenee' had moved leaving a serious void in my life and social calendar. I'm still sad about this - it's like I'm a teenager all over again and I lost my BFF. And third was this pity party started around the time my mom's health problems began. But once again, my mental status for #2 and #3 could all be reconciled were it not for #1.

My mom continues to get better but still needs help and my dad had to go out of town for several days. There were a lot of opinions in my family about what was best for mom while my dad was gone, but what it finally came down to was I flew out to her house for a few days, and the days I wasn't here the Relief Society (the women's organization in our church) lined people up to be with my mom round the clock. My mom keeps insisting the R.S. is taking a little too good of care of her and she doesn't need someone here all the time, and I told her that people want to help and she needs to let them serve her. But then I had to take my own advice. I feel a bit as though I've abandoned my family while I am here, and I had to ask for help with my children while I'm gone. This was hard. And while I was trying to muster up the courage to impose on the few friends I felt I have, word got out that I was leaving to care for my mother. I had to turn people down as they approached me about helping while I was gone. My friends in Washington happily volunteered to take me to/from the airport. I could have stayed with my mom much longer had I known the out pouring of help I would received from my friends. It ended my pity party really fast. It was a good reminder that I'm not alone, there are plenty of people I can turn to and just because there may not be a blood relation, I have family all around me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you - to everyone who reads this. The phrase from the Beatles song keeps running though my head, "I get by with a little help from my friends". Never more true to me than it is right now.