This post is dedicated to my father, whom I love dearly and has always been my hero.
It's amazing how, in life, often you find yourself on the brink of giving up. You've done everything you thought you could; you've reached the limit of what you know how to accomplish; and you can't, no matter how much thinking and pondering you do, figure out the next step to take. Some people are good at handling themselves and staying positive in these kinds of situations. I envy them. I am not one of them.
However, time and time again when I find myself on the verge of just saying "Screw it!" I'm reminded of something that I tend to take for granted: I have an amazing family that loves me and watches out for me. Over and over just when I'm in need of a pick-me-up, or in need of guidance and direction, or in need of a kick in the behind to get going again, my family has been there for me. Sometimes it's the random happy birthday call from a sister, or a brother stepping up and organizing a family get-together to say "We love you, and we want you to know how special you are to us." Every time I can think of where I've really felt lost, felt like I had nowhere forward to go, my family has been there to interject the perfect amount of wisdom or experience or warning to help me get through what I was unable to accomplish myself.
Each of us has a family of some sort. Each of us has a different situation with our family. My family is nowhere near perfect. But I think the definition of family is people who are there for you when you need them, no matter what you're going through or have done in the past, and no matter what they're going through or have done in the past. In my last blog post I talked about friends, and they are, truly, family to me. But they cannot replace the incredible family that I have been born into.
I have been blessed with wonderful parents. They have taught me valuable things and never cease to provide wisdom and guidance at the right moments. Their example in their marriage and the way they live life is an unending source of strength to me. My mom has an incredible ability to recognize and find joy in the many tender mercies she finds herself blessed with throughout life. We have not always had everything life could give us, and yet my mom always has a way of seeing wonderful and joyful things on a day to day basis that make home a happy and wonderful place to be. My dad is a rock of strength and wisdom. He's not the most expressive person. He doesn't always give voice to his thoughts and opinions. But no matter what I've been going through, whether he approved of my actions or disapproved, I've always been able to go to him and ask for advice and guidance. Ever since I was little I can always remember being able to ask him questions about anything, big or small. If he didn't know the answer, he would point me in the right direction to obtain the answer myself. There has never been a day that I doubted his love for me, and his example is something I will always look up to.
I am blessed with wonderful siblings. They've all been through different things. They all see the world in different ways. Some days they teach me more than others, but I learn so much from them and gain so much from their examples. My place in the family as the "Runt," the little brother that was a surprise to them all, is something I enjoy and cherish. As they each see things in a different way, they shed light on different aspects in my life in their own ways, and together without often even knowing their combined influence, they provide a light for me that I would be lost without.
Not everyone is blessed with a family like mine. For some people, their family is one of the biggest struggles they face. If you are one of these people, I understand where you find yourself, and my heart goes out to you. But this post is, I feel, specifically meant for you. You especially are the ones that must be reminded that family is a treasure to be valued above all else in the world. No matter what the situation is, no matter the troubles you have with your family, there is hope. The gospel heals all wounds. Your actions and decisions affect your family more than anyone else in your life. Seek to choose the right, do your best to live up to the expectations of your Father in Heaven, and partake of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to refine yourself and become a better person, and you will feel and see the effects it will have on your family. Whether it will change the hearts and minds of your loved ones around you, or will lead you towards the opportunity to start a righteous and wonderful family of your own, the blessings of the Gospel will be impossible to miss in your life and in your family.
I am forever grateful to my family, and I only hope that I will be able to be as much of a strength and example to them as they are to me.
Again I leave you with the best of wishes, and I leave you with my humble reminder: The simple and most important things
in life are often right there, hiding in plain sight right in front of
us, awaiting only our acknowledgement that they are indeed what make
our lives truly grand.
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