Family Unity

I am amazed at the difference in perspective my children have than I do. Sometimes, when I have had a day in my drill-sergeant or boxing-ring referee modes, or when my day has consisted basically of dowsing a series of brush fires or contained a dreaded "War of the Words," I wonder what the kids will remember when they leave. Now that I actually have adult children I'm beginning to get some of that feedback, and today it was good.

Alexa gave a talk at church today on "Family Unity." She began by saying that many of those in the congregation who had been in our home had most likely experienced a lot of yelling, laughing, and general craziness, but not a lot of what they would think of as "unity." In our house you won't see little girls in matching pink dresses that mother made or the boys tuning their violins. I thought to myself, "Oh well, it's true. She can't very well make things up in order to make our family fit the subject." Then she said, "Well, you just haven't been there at the right time."

She went on to relate that if you were in our house very early in the morning you would see Dad getting the family together for scripture reading as he has for years, and if you were there around 8:00 each night you would hear our family singing a hymn in preparation for family prayer.

She read a quote by one of the Apostles on the importance of making our homes a refuge against the storms of life and expressed her gratefulness that she has been able to come home to her refuge when the storms of life became too much for her. She said that no matter what happened the rest of the time, she knew first and last--from morning to night--we were together.

I was moved and somewhat amazed. I am not blind to problems that we have had as a family over the years, but her talk gave me hope that my children will "separate the wheat from the chaff and, with breath of kindness, blow the chaff away."