perks and privileges

There aren't many perks to being the bishop's wife, particularly when a major hurricane devastates your community, but here is one of them:

On Saturday evening Blake and I had the unique opportunity to dine with a general authority. Elder Hallstrom, from the Presidency of the Seventy, was in the area this weekend surveying the relief efforts the church has coordinated in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The table, which had been set in the high counsel room at the stake center, was small and included us, the bishop of the Staten Island ward, the stake Relief Society president, the stake president, one of his counselors, each of their spouses, Elder Olson, our area authority, and, of course, Elder Hallstrom. Because they were running behind schedule, the meal was rushed, but it was nonetheless delicious (and even included Junior's cheesecake for dessert!). While we ate, those, including Blake, who have been involved in coordinating the hurricane relief efforts reported on their experiences. The spirit as they spoke was so strong, and even I, who've had such a difficult time these last five weeks manning the home front on my own, had to wipe my eyes a few times. Good, good things have been done to help the hardest-hit communities in our area, and it's hard not to recognize that, even when it hasn't been easy to fully support it.

Immediately following the dinner, Elder Hallstrom gave a fireside for those in the stake who have been either affected by the hurricane or involved in the relief efforts. One thing he said which I found comforting was that, even though it sometimes may not feel like it, the stress that we are under now is only temporary. It may take weeks, months, or years before it is fully relieved, but it is still only temporary. I also gleaned, through conversations with the wives of the stake president and his counselor, that I am perfectly normal -- perhaps even in my right -- to feel just as worn out as someone like Blake, who has been constantly on the phone, sitting at his email, or out cleaning out flooded homes. It's nice to know that even though I have a roll of my own to fill as the bishop's wife, I'm not expected to be superwoman.

It really was a privilege to be a part of this evening, and a memorable experience. And now, because excessive mold is creating a liability for volunteers, the constant, heavy-duty service that our ward has been providing has begun to wind down considerably. I actually got to see Blake for more than a few minutes this weekend! We're not completely out of the woods yet -- there are still needs in the community and people willing to help fill them -- but visible confirmation of the temporary nature of the situation is a relief for me to witness.