My family has been on my mind a lot lately. Shocker, right? I have three girls, and they are each driving me nuts in their own precious way.
Never, though, have I been more conscious of the importance of my presence in their lives, both for their sakes and mine. An acquaintance of our family passed away recently from cancer. She had a little boy, not quite a year old. I find myself thinking about him often, especially as the holidays are coming up. She won’t be there for so many of his firsts. I grieve for him and the mother he’ll never know, and I find myself so grateful for my own health and the presence of my family all around me.
With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that this quote by George Bernard Shaw has really struck a chord with me. I, and the mother who passed away, belong to a religion that prizes family above all else. It’s called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Quite the mouthful, huh? Yeah, we know. In this religion, one of our goals in this life is to make sure that our family can remain united throughout eternity. No “Til death do you part” for us, though I don’t think many wedding ceremonies include that phrase anymore. Death should only be a temporary “see you later” to our loved ones, not a permanent divide.
Why, then, shouldn’t we make our homes on earth as close to heaven as we can? After all, I do want my family to actually want to stay with me in the next life! I have to keep reminding myself that temporary feelings are not the same as long-lasting feelings: I may feel frustrated at my kids sometimes, and they may get angry at me in their turn, but we are still a happy family. At heart, we are happy together.
I have moments every once in a while where I feel like I could never love my family more than I do right then. That’s my goal right now: to make more and more of those little heavenly moments. It’s hard sometimes, and far too often I’m the one who disturbs our peace. We’re working on it though.
I’m pretty new to making printables, and I’m sure my style will evolve over time, but I’m also pretty sure this one will always be my favorite.
Find this cute printable HERE in my shop, or HERE on Etsy!
