From the Relief Society Magazine, April 1946 –

Digging for Happiness

By Elizabeth Adamson

Myra’s thoughts, as she walked home from Relief Society meeting, were a trifle confused. She had hated to tell Sister Packham that she had definitely decided she wouldn’t keep on with her class lessons. And Sister Packham had been so nice about it; but her parting words traced an indelible line through Myra’s mind. “I hope you’ll reconsider, Myra. You’ll make a wonderful teacher. Just try it once more. We all have hidden talents that give us a pleasurable surprise when we dig them out and use them. And it’s surprising how much genuine joy and satisfaction we get in the process of digging.”

The last sentence, particularly, kept running through her mind, once in a while interspersed with a remark of Tim’s, “If you would only try, use a little patience. Big things aren’t done in a hurry.” Even Tim thought she had something that so far had failed to materialize.

Myra was at her own gate. This time, instead of hurrying into the house, for some reason, she stopped to gaze about her. It’s funny, she thought, I’ve never especially noticed how inviting Tim has made our yard. It’s taken a long time to make things look like this – the white arbor, the flower beds, and even the grass. It’s so orderly and peaceful out here that I hate to go in.

She dropped down on the grass. Her thoughts kept on. What’s the difference between Tim and me? He gets results. He’s happy and contented. He seldom complains. And I am practically the opposite. Why? Myra rested her head on her arms. Could there really be some magic in trying and doing instead of just dreaming and wishing?

Suddenly Myra jumped to her feet, a look of resolution in her eyes. She would give Sister Packham’s and Tim’s hints a thoroughly honest try. She would stop dreaming about what she would like to have and do, and really find out for herself what applied effort would bring.

Immediately upon making this decision, her blood began to pulsate with new life and she was filled with the need to go into action. Her mind raced ahead to the tasks and work she had to do. As she enumerated them one by one, and the list became longer, her determination began to ebb. There was Nancy’s dress to finish, dishes to wash, ironing to be done, and dinner started, besides the other tasks she had left until she felt more in the mood. Oh, there were too many things! She never could get them all done.

It was by sheer will power that Myra commandeered her fleeing energies to stop and come back to the battle front. “For,” she said aloud, “it looks as if I really do have a battle, one of habit. That must be the way I’ve always been. When I have a stack of things to do, I either somehow back out and do them as I feel the urge, or rush through them so fast nothing is done quite right. No wonder I’m never satisfied. But not this time. I’m going to prove to myself I can do things and do them well. I will! I will! I can, especially if the Lord will help me.”

She pushed open the door. As she glanced at the upheaval she had left when she went to Relief Society meeting she winced. But, undauntedly, she continued to her room. Here, at least, everything was in order. Tim generally came in here to do his work, and so she had thought he didn’t particularly notice the rest of the house if this room was kept spic and span.

Myra changed her clothes to some she could work in. Then she knelt down to pray and ask the Lord for help in carrying out her new resolution.

When she arose, her eyes traveled to the desk. Of course, she thought, a schedule is what I need. It won’t make so much difference if I’m slow getting started tonight if I know exactly what I’m going to do from now on.

She sat down and began her list. She put in everything, including preparation for her Relief Society lesson. When she had completed it, she was astounded at the things there were to do, especially if she did things right. There was meal-planning, housework, sewing, time for the children, and all the little things that make a home seem to run on oiled wheels.

After puzzling over her problem for several minutes, she decided to divide her list into a daily program, making sure each day saw something other than routine tasks done. Eventually, she was satisfied that her program covered all her duties.

She considered places to put the program, and at last decided that inside the cupboard door was handiest, where no one would be likely to notice it. For a while that was what she wanted – secrecy in making herself over. Also, being in the cupboard, the schedule would always be close at hand for checking on herself.

Dinner was well under way when Tim Morgan opened the door. “Um-m-m. Something smells good. What are you cooking?” he asked, by way of greeting.

“Just the usual thing,” Myra sad, looking up at him from the finishing touches of Nancy’s dress. She wanted to surprise him tonight, and anyway getting interesting meals was to be a regular feature in her schedule.

“Well, that’s that,” said Myra as she held the dress up for a final scrutiny. “It’s finished.” And, to herself, added that it did look pretty and neat. At least she wasn’t ashamed of this one. She’d had to do a good deal of unpicking and resewing to get it satisfactory. The feeling of something well done began to exhilarate her. It was with some constraint that she refrained from telling Tim about her decision, especially when he remarked, “Things must have gone pretty well in Relief Society today.”

“But they didn’t. I made such a mess of the lesson. I thought maybe I would resign. I did start to. Then Sister Packham asked me to think it over again before I really said no.”

“She’s right. You should never quit until you are absolutely certain within yourself that you cannot do the job.” Tim had encouraged her to take the class. He thought they both might get something out of it.

Dinner was over, and Myra had completed her dishes. It had been worth the extra effort to make the steamed pudding. Tim had seemed to really enjoy everything, even though there were no remarks made. But she dreaded doing her next job – sitting down to read over her next lesson. However, she reasoned with herself, if she started now she could think about it as she went to sleep and tomorrow she would be able to locate one of the references.

She settled down to her reading. While she was finding her place a few paragraphs from an article in The Relief Society Magazine caught her eye:

To life affirmatively, abundantly, is possible for each of us, and to do it is a major achievement. To fill one’s days with useful work, to do well the task immediately in front of one is to be happy now and to make secure the future. A well-ordered life is free from lost time, lost motion, desultory effort, and needless worry.

One of the secrets of really great living is having ideals and standards and then living up to them. When we cherish lofty ideals and strive heroically to attain them, we are made both strong and happy.

Even the Magazine has remarks of strength in it for me, and are applicable to me, she thought.

Sometimes it was hard for Myra to carry out her resolution. Unexpected things came up. Her old habits were very strong upon her. And on those days that she let them conquer she was as dissatisfied as she had ever been. But, on the days that her willpower won, she always went to bed happy. She even caught herself bursting into snatches of song. Tim, too, noticed the change. At first, he said nothing. Then, as things began to be easier for her to keep up with, he asked her if she had found a new formula for living. He had never seen things quite so nice, nor her quite so happy.

But Myra told him nothing. She simply smiled and resolved to carry on even more strongly. Each day, too, she devoted a few minutes to study. Her crowning point of happiness was the ease and fluency with which she was able to present her Relief Society lesson. Not once did she falter, not even during a lively discussion. Tears of joy were in her eyes when Sister Packham put her arm around her after the meeting was over and said, “I believe that was one of the very best lessons I ever participated in. You do have a real knack for explaining the lesson and drawing us out.”

Silently Myra thanked the Lord and prayed for more help to carry on and gain even higher success and confidence in her abilities, that she might ever enjoy the satisfaction and joy of well-earned happiness. She knew she had only just begun. There were many more things to overcome and accomplish. But she would continue digging for happiness, for there was a veritable and great treasure to be gained.