Blessing for Summer

This is another post written so I can remember.

We're leaving on a trip tomorrow to visit my parents, who are serving as missionaries in Palmyra,  NY. To get there, we'll be flying.We've been talking about this trip for months with Summer. Two weeks ago we made a countdown chain and we've been reading stories about airplanes.  I think she is very excited to go,  but she had been a little nervous as well.

All day today,  Summer has been a little off.  I decided it was because we spent the day preparing for our trip,  and she was a little unsure of it all.  We talked a lot about the plane and what to expect, and then what we would be doing/seeing on our trip.

This evening,  Summer was having a hard time going to sleep,  even though she seemed to honestly be trying to go to bed.  At one point,  we went in and watched the Cornbelly's fireworks, because they make her nervous. After that,  I laid her in bed and she told me she wanted her dad's hands on her head.  I thought that was odd, but I figured I was a good substitute,  so I tried rubbing her head.  She quickly sat up,  and informed me that was not what she wanted. She then patted her head again,  said "Heavenly Father," and the told me she wanted Anders to come in.  It then dawned on me that she was asking for a blessing. This was the first time she's ever done that.  Anders gave her a blessing a few weeks ago when she was sick, and I think she remembered the help that it gave her.

Anders came and gave her a blessing, and it became very obvious to me that she was quite nervous about traveling tomorrow. I'm amazed at the simple understanding of a child.  She knew that she needed help and peace (much more than her parents realized), and that help could come from God through the power of a priesthood blessing.  She recognized the peace that came the last time she had a blessing, and she wanted that again. She was also blessed to remember this trip. I am so glad that she will.