guerdon /n. / a reward, recompense, or requital. something justly deserved. due. what is coming to one. accolade. prize. plum. comeuppance.
guerdon /n./ 1. A week or so ago David and I watched the National Spelling Bee on television and saw Sameer Mishra win the whole thing by spelling "guerdon" correctly. Of course it became my next word-of-the-week.
guerdon /n./ 2. I've written and rewritten this post about three times, but just can't seem to get it right...the natural guerdon for not writing for a week, I suppose.
guerdon /n./ 3. I spent the first week-and-a-half of summer doing just about nothing, other than a few puzzles and spending hours and hours by the pool. The guerdon for such riotous and irresponsible living was that on Monday and Tuesday this week, I had to play catch-up and madly run around town trying to prepare for Girls' Camp. I am not really a "slow and steady girl"...more of a "full-blaze firefighter," who naps when things are just "smoking." Apparently I need healthy dose of adrenalin to get anything done.
guerdon /n./ 4. About this time of year, when heat stroke is likely to happen at every possible moment, I start to wonder why I live here. However, the guerdon for living smack dab in the belly of hell is that my parents are quite close by, and this summer this has especially been such a blessing. My mom started cooking classes with my three older kids this past week and they have been in heaven, learning to make various "lunches" and all kinds of cookies. I love that my mom makes up for the many shocking blank spots in my children's' life experiences and education.
Armed with their cookbooks...
guerdon /n./ 5. I boarded the bus with my young women early Wednesday morning and spent four glorious days with them up in the mountains at Girls' Camp. This was my third year at camp with these particular girls and probably my hardest one yet. It seems like I always have more to learn, more to give, more to love. But, the guerdon for all the hard work and exhaustion is the testimony meeting we have the last night of camp. Nothing brings me more joy than to hear my girls' tender feelings about their Savior and his gospel. And it makes me wish for a lifetime more of these experiences.
guerdon /n./ 6. As some sort of ironic and sadistic guerdon for going to camp, I was asked to speak about our camp experiences in church on Sunday. It was my usual mess...too loud, too many hand gestures, too emotional, too excited about my subject, way too passionate for Sunday morning. The congregation just stared at me, and I'm sure most of them were thinking, "What is she getting so worked up about?" The only redeeming part of the whole thing was that I got to share my favorite quote from East of Eden, which I altered to apply to my girls. This is, just exactly, the way I feel about my young women, and my own beautiful children. I only wish I was worthy of the gifts they truly are.
You have not bought these [girls], nor stolen them, nor passed any bit for them. You have them by some strange and lovely dispensation.