Are you ready for another E.L.M. Q&A??? I know I am! When I was first playing with the idea of doing this series I was trying to think of people who I would like to have featured. My friend Emily was one of the first names on my very long list and when she said she would do it I was so excited. Emily is one of the coolest women I know. I went to high school with Emily and had lost touch with her until the blessing that is social media reconnected us. I love her awesome personality, amazing sense of style, crazy awesome creativity, and she is pretty much SUPER MOM raising 5 daughters!!! I'm losing my mind just raising one. I am so happy to have Emily be a part of my life and now a part of my Q&A series. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... Emily Dalton!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Emily Dalton. I'm first most a mother of 5 beautiful girls, next, wife to my handsome husband, a believer of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, owner of my own business, and aspiring nurse. That's a lot of things! Don't worry, they don't all work out at the same time.
Who matters to you?
In my introduction I listed some of the most important people in my life. My family is always first! My husband is my glue. He holds my life together and I don't know what I'd do without him. My kids are my life right now. They were entrusted to me to help them grow healthy and happy and I, like so many other mothers, am so overwhelmed and blessed with this task. I also have many friends in my life, new and old, that are so very important to me. I've been truly blessed to be part of a very special friendship with 4 other ladies since college. We are inseparable and have been through so much together. This last year has been a very heartbreaking year for us five friends. And things we have been through have made a profound difference in all our life's.
How do you show them that they matter to you?
With all the important people in my life, I find myself easily stressed with showing them all how much I love them. Compassion and service are attributes of mine that I put above my own needs. This isn't always in every one's best interest though. So I try to balance my time with the most important people/things in my life.
It's funny as I answer these great questions I find myself being self critical. How many of us are like that?! I would say a lot. I'm going to try to stick with your q&a motto and give myself the credit I should everyday.
So back to the question! I get up every morning (much earlier then I would like to) and get my girls up fed and ready for school. Despite their many attempted dissuasion's. While my older three are gone I have fun with, all while teaching, my two littlest littles what a house wife should do. Clean, cook, nap. You know important life essentials. In between my daily chores and changing diapers I promote and run my business. I run this business because we need the money. The business to me is much more then money though. And I will explain in future questions. I then welcome my scholarly children home from school and try to keep my patience during that dreaded hour trying to cram homework, after school snacks/free time and preparing dinner. You all know what I'm talking about right? I've heard many call it the witching hour. Nuff said. After putting on a strenuous smile to welcome husband home, I feed my family, finish up being task master and tuck my kiddos into bed. Then it's either back to work promoting/running business or spending time with with my sweet, often neglected husband.
Sorry for the run down of my daily grind. I felt it was important, mostly for myself, to list the things I do for my loved ones every day. There is always more to the day that I don't see coming as well. Life is very good at throwing all kinds of extra crap at you that you weren't planning on dealing with. It slows your other tasks way down and gets me down often. This is the time that I turn to what should have been my number one task, God. Prayer, scripture study, Sunday school. These are the way I show my love to my Heavenly Father. And really they are the ways he gives his love to me.
Lastly my friends. Oh how I wish I had more time to show my love for my friends! Calls, texts, social media posts. That's all it seems to be the busier my life gets. We get together every month or so. To all my friends out there, know that I wish I could do more!! Prayers are also another way I give them my love. Lots and lots of prayers!
Tell us about a time in your life when someone has made you feel like you mattered.
Hey this one time!! Honestly I keep wondering why you would've picked me to be featured on your awesome blog. I'm not anyone special except to a few certain littles. At least that's what my mean voice inside my head tells me. But to try and think about times that I have felt like I mattered there are a few prominent thoughts that come to mind.
1- Of course every time my children are in pain I feel important. I need to help them and most times I'm the only one that can give them comfort. 2-Whenever I get a calling in my church. Nothing can make me as scared and flattered at the same time as a "calling from God" as my church leaders say when asking service from a member such as I. And then there's the personal thanks from other members after I give a lesson. Feels great.
3- when I'm successful in my business. So here's my business explanation I promised. I sell women's and girls clothing via mostly home parties. It's something I never saw myself doing. I never threw parties and I was never confident in asking other people to "do" something for me. Well this new business I've invested in has given me that kind of confidence and more. Because people don't just buy a product from me, they buy the idea that I show them. Not sure if I'm explaining this right but the point is that I love my product & how it makes me feel & I have learned to show my confidence and love to others to be successful at what I do.
4- Lastly, it never fails, when I can serve or help someone out I feel like I'm worth a million!
Tell us about a time in your life when you haven't felt like you mattered. How did you overcome that?
I'm sad to say that I tell myself that I don't matter too often, but happy to say that it happens less and less as I get older. I think back at high school (ie the most insecure time of my life) and am so thankful for that time to be over and to have the knowledge I do now that all my worries and insecurities were ridiculous at that time. Words from others have such a huge affect at those young years. I can thank my husband and his tremendous love for erasing those ill intentions other kids did. And I am able to forgive those who made me feel inadequate because I now know that those years were probably just as hard for them and that most have probably grown up to be fine men and women. And if they don't feel sorry about it now, it really doesn't matter! I have many who love me and their love is all I need. What an amazing truth!!
Life can get pretty crazy and there are a lot of distractions and things to get us off track. How do you keep focus on what matters most to you in your life?
Luckily I have five little reminders and one amazing man to keep me focused on what really matters in life. Every time I am told I am loved. Every time I stop to look at the beauty and blessings around me. Every time I turn my devotion to God. And each morning when I wake up to a new day full of potential to do better, I am reminded of what this life is really about. It's a crazy hard life, but it's a good one!
If you could give one message to those reading this what would it be?
This last year I've had to see several of my most loved ones go through the biggest struggles of their life's. Things that are much too common in this world but that I never really was able to fathom the immense pain involved. Suicide, loss, divorce, depression and addiction. Horrible experiences to have to watch my family and dearest friends go through. And the one thing I want to make known to everyone reading this would be that nothing is ever bad enough to end your life for! You can get through it. You have someone that loves you and you need to do what you need to to be there with them. It's hard. It's so very very hard, but you can do it! Please seek help. You know when you need it! Now I also want to make it known that the horrible things I mentioned above happen and that there is healing and forgiveness for those affected by them. That when we witness these hard times in others we need to give our love and understand and act only with love. Love is universal and everyone needs more of it and needs to give more of it. The
With much love from your friend,
Emily Dalton
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