Act lll, Scene ii

Someone has altered the script.

My lines have been changed.

The other actors are shifting roles

They don't come on when they're expected to,

And they don't say the lines I've written

And I am being up staged.

I thought I was writing this play

With a rather nice role for myself

Small, but juicy

And some excellent lines.

But nobody gives my cues

And the scenery has been replaced.

I don't recognize the new sets.

This isn't the script I was writing.

I don't understand this plot at all.

To grow up

Is to find

The small part you are playing

In this extraordinary drama

Is written by

Somebody else.

--Madeline L’Engle

I was born Jan 20 to extremely loving parents who taught me many great and important lessons in life. I grew up with love in every corner of the household, with parents who loved, respected and cherished each other and were always an example of fairness, graciousness, service, respect and love. For them I am eternally grateful.

As a young girl I wrote the script for my life using their example. . I attended a local Southern California college and worked as a vision therapist for children with handicapped vision. Then I went to BYU. I majored in Elementary Education. I married in the temple, graduated and had one child, Aaron.

When I was eight months pregnant with my second child the scenes changed dramatically. I now needed to learn a whole new role, that of single parent. As a single parent I learned it was important to believe in yourself… for a long, long time I had forgotten this. I played this role for 20 years.

A new role of working parent soon altered my script. On my first day of work I got my first ticket hurrying home to the babysitter to pick up my babies. I often referred to the babysitters as the kidnappers because that is how I felt. Unbelievably, I retired after 31 years of teaching.

There have been many, many changes to my script but, the last scene change I want to share was amazing. Someone discovered I was a princess. This scene change was better than the script that I wrote for myself. I could not have written such a remarkable role… that of princess, friend, wife, mother, grandmother… walking hand in hand with this “noble son of our Father in Heaven”

I appreciate the roles that I have been given. I appreciate Heavenly Father’s confidence in me. I know that he lives and loves me.