I’m taking a self-reliance class called Starting and Growing My Own Business. The “starting and growing” is mighty slow going, but the foundational principles for each week’s lesson are immediate and wonderful.

Teddy bears in various stages of construction

Each week we commit to act on the foundational principle for the lesson. This week’s was “Become One, Serve Together.” President Thomas S. Monson said, “When we work together cooperatively, we can accomplish anything. When we do so, we eliminate the weakness of one person standing alone and substitute the strength of many serving together.”

We were supposed to participate in a group service project. The members of my group elected to each devise his/her own project. I called upon my visiting teachers (friends from church) and asked them to dedicate some time to making bears for Little Lambs Foundation (serving Utah’s foster children). They both offered two hours of service. Look at all the work we got done! On a GOOD bear-embroidering session I can make a bear in an hour (to the point where it’s ready to be sewn on the machine). Between the three of us, we have 8 bears—most of which still need eyes, nose, and mouth (which is the more fiddly work). Well begun is half done, as Mary Poppins said.

Some day very soon they’ll look like these guys…

Bears, bears, bears!

(Bear pattern is available at Shiny Happy World: Warren the Charity Bear.)

 

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