Family Friday: Aaron

Normally I unload family pictures on Fridays, but I think I will take a different approach today.  This morning I opened the dishwasher to unload it and was amazed by the mish mash of dishes intricately layered and stacked on the racks.  Tupperware lids were stacked and then a juice pitcher placed over the top of them. Nearly every spoon, spatula and plate in the house was loaded in there.   Unloading it was like an archaeological dig of what we ate over the past two days yesterday.  As I stood there, amazed at the number of dishes Aaron was able to load in the dishwasher and still have the dishes come out clean, I started to think about the rotten afternoon Aaron had yesterday.  

He was on his way out the door (late because the van wouldn't start) to bring Ben and Jacob to taekwondo and buy decorations and food for a school dance, when the missionaries called.  They had gone off the road nearby and needed assistance.  Aaron grabbed a bucket of salt, some shovels and took off in hopes of finding the missionaries on the way to taekwondo.  45 minutes later he came back home to consult the map because he couldn't find them.  He found the road where he thought they were and left again.  He searched and searched for the missionaries and never found them.  He couldn't stop the search because he was thinking of his own sons/daughter as missionaries, stranded and needing help.  In the meantime Ben and Jacob missed taekwondo, Aaron didn't get the things he needed for the dance, and he missed a phone interview that is the next to the last thing he has to do to graduate with his master's degree.

Aaron had every right to come home angry, flustered and kick back after such a stressful afternoon and yet I came home from my meeting to clean counters, sleeping kids, delicious leftovers from dinner and Aaron feverishly working on a lecture for class the next day.  But here is the worst part...

I saw the missionaries at the church and asked if they had gotten out without any damage to their car.  They said that they had and then I asked if Brother Cornelius had gotten out without any damage.  They answered, "Oh Brother Cornelius did come to help?" (Not an exact quote)  It turns out the missionaries had called another member of the church as well and he had pulled them out and the missionaries went on their merry way.  They never called to say that they were out and safe so all of Aaron's sacrifices and efforts; missing taekwondo, not getting the errands done and most of all the interview, were in vain.

These were the thoughts going through my head as I emptied the dishwasher.  I continued to think about all the amazing things Aaron does even beyond amazing dishwasher stacking skills.  I thought of every room in this house that has changed because of his skills and dedication with remodeling.  I thought of what an amazing teacher he is and how loved he is by his students and their parents.  Firewood, yard work,  garden, mason's meetings, historical society, neighbor...Aaron does so much.

Then I thought about my calling as Primary president and what a support he was as I served and he was the "mom" which allowed me to do the things I needed to do for my calling.  I was released this past Sunday and I have been showered with compliments and thanks for all I did in my calling.  I could not have served as I did, without Aaron's efforts but I am the one who gets the thanks.  They say behind every good man is a good woman.  In my case, if you think I am a good woman, it is because I have an AMAZING man backing me up.