"The Healing Power of Love

I have spent the last two days running errands and going to the dentist. Mindi and I are trying to hit all the sales at the grocery stores to save money on feeding these children and pets. As we were leaving the last store Mindi said, "that lady just isn't nice. Why do they have grumpy old women work in their store if they can't be nice." Being a grumpy old women myself I answered her with, "maybe that is why they are grumpy, because they are old and have to stand on their feet all day checking people out, it would be a hard job." I have felt guilty for a long time that I only worked a few short years. I became so overwhelmed with kids and home responsibilities that I was lucky to survive raising my children let alone have a career. I have one daughter who loves her job and provides for her family and another who is a stay at home mother of five. I have thought a lot lately about the choices we make in our lives. I look at my children and their spouses and families and they are all very different. Their situations are different, their testimonies are different, but they are all wonderful children and parents to our grandchildren. The last couple of months have been really hard on me. Because I stayed home and tried to be a good example to my children, I take things very personal when things aren't going that great between them. Even though the things that are going on have nothing to do with me or something I have done, it still hurts. Today in my reading the chapter is, "The Healing Power of Love." She says, "The wants and needs of human beings can usually be described with one word--love. Everyone needs and is searching for love. The core of our nature is the need to be loved--loved unconditionally." I know there were times when my children were teenagers that I think I loved them, but I didn't really like them. Now they are struggling with their own teenagers and I can just stand there and be quiet and think, "I'm so sorry you have to go through this." Even though they deserve it. Elder Neal A Maxwell said, "Truly our capacity to love determines the degree to which we can develop all the other crucial qualities. Without love we will be forever impatient. Without love we will be unforgiving. Without love we will be unkind and unmerciful." So the challenge it to love the unlovable, now that is something I truly need to work on because sometimes that is me.