Stay Calm and Carry On - Mom and Grandmother Send Their Love

One of my ancestors was a poetess. She wrote many poems and songs. She lived to be over 100 years old and did many great things in her life. Many times in my life when I have been struggling, one of the songs she wrote tends to come to mind or I will hear it in a church meeting as it is included in our congregational hymn book.
I am always grateful for that when it happens to play on the radio, my playlist or just comes to mind when I am having a hard day. The title of the song is "Carry On" and I am sure I have included in a blog post before as it is one of the many little tender mercies of my life when I am stressed, similar to the blessings of finding a penny or seeing 111 somewhere just when I need it.

As you can imagine, over the past few months, I have had some cause to feel overwhelmed or stressed. There have been lots of things going on that could, and normally would, overwhelm me but I am doing my best to take each day one at a time and just do what I can do.

I can say that my sleep has not been what it should. My health is suffering as I haven't had the time to focus on healing the parasites and doing what I need to for my health and the stress of not sleeping and worry over finances, a car, sending a daughter out into the world as a missionary, my mothers estate and other things keep me up as much as I am tired and try to sleep.

I can see God's little mercies in my life by seeing 111 often and finding coins but lately, the mercies have been different and I think it is my mother and my grandmother trying to tell me everything is going to be "OK" but that I just need to "Stay calm and carry on!"

I have never seen a sign like the one at the top in my life but the other day as I struggled last week with two very hard days being so exhausted I could barely get out of bed, I was at a second hand store looking for parts for one of the ceiling fans in our house that needs more lights.

I was looking and I found this wall hanging that said, "Stay Calm and Carry On." at the top of the picture was a crown. My mother was a national beauty queen and quite famous in her day and seeing the crown which has always reminded me of my mother, and seeing the "Carry on" which always reminds me of my great grandmother, I took it as a sign to do my best to remain calm through all of this and just "carry on" as best I can.

That same week, I was driving up to get Princess Five from her conference and I was SO tired but the cd player didn't work and I couldn't listen to audio books which I usually listen to when I drive so I listened to the radio which I rarely ever do anymore.

A song came on and I immediately thought of my grandmothers song as it was "Kansas" singing "Carry on" and the words were:

"Carry On Wayward Son"

 

"I hear the voices when I'm dreaming,
I can hear them say

Carry on my wayward son,
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more

On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune,
But I hear the voices say

Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more no!

Carry on,
You will always remember
Carry on,
Nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you"
After that song, I was contemplating and soon after in the three hour drive, the song "Carry On" by Fun which I haven't heard much before came on and I cried being so tired and wishing I could "lay my weary head to rest." 

 

Here are the words in that song:

"You swore and said we are not
We are not shining stars
This I know
I never said we are
Though I've never been through hell like that
I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back

If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Carry on, carry on

No one's ever gonna stop us now
'Cause we are
We are shining stars
We are invincible
We are who we are
On our darkest day
When we're miles away
So we'll come, we will find our way home"

One talks of heaven, the other talks of finding our way home. Both had me knowing that my family is trying to support me as they can from the other side..... 

I was at Walmart the other day and felt like I should go look at an end cap that had jewelry on it but two men were standing in front of it so I went and got the last thing on my list. They were still standing there when I passed to check out and I forgot about it. 

Today, when I was at Walmart, I felt again that I should go look at the end cap. I don't purchase jewelry at Walmart so I wasn't sure what I should see there but I went over and once again, I found a name card holder that had the exact pattern of "Stay Calm and Carry On" on it with crown at the top. I couldn't believe it. I took a picture but didn't check it before heading out and I guess on the other side, it said "Stay calm, I'm a nurse" on it and didn't notice that I took a picture of the wrong side until I started blogging but you can see the "carry on" on the strap and in the background of the picture. 

It was so funny but I guess that sign is my mom and grandma's way of letting me know they are around. It was sweet as I "felt" like I should look at the end cap and why would I even look at the name / card holder as I don't work as a nurse so I wouldn't even look at those normally.  

The last video is a wonderful rendition of my great grandmothers song "Carry On" by a mens chorus. I wanted to share it with you as I enjoyed it. 

 I thought this would be a quick post but it didn't end up being quick but it is a reminder that I do have angels watching over me! I will try to do as my grandmother song suggests and "CARRY ON!"