Prepared with an open heart ...

There’s no greater joy for a mother, than to hear from others how wonderful your children are.  If I had a penny for every time somebody told me ‘I don’t know what you did, but you have raised such wonderful children; so polite and well-behaved’….well, I’d be monetarily rich!  I much prefer being richly blessed knowing my young adult children are well prepared for the world.


It has been said of Mormons, ‘ we need to learn to be in the world, not of the world’. Yes indeed, I worked at this a lot.  I wanted to teach my children the values of hard work, compassion and service.  Showing them by example the perils of wrong choices and the work it takes to correct those choices.  The gospel has been my center, my starting and ending point.  As a surprise to some, my children are indeed well rooted in the gospel, they have testimonies.  I see their testimonies in action everyday, by the people they impress with their compassion and hard work, by their integrity.  My children my not flaunt their testimonies amongst their religious peers, but it not for a lack of having testimonies. More due to just being humble.
I am so blessed to know that my children can travel and appreciate other cultures without causing pain due to intolerances.  I am so blessed that my children know the worth of souls is indeed great.  I am so blessed that my children desire to know and love the many people who make up our world, and want to serve them, live amongst them and sincerely take an interest in their thoughts and beliefs.
They may not change the whole world, this I know.  But I am just as sure they will indeed make the difference in many lives, including mine and their own.
Preparing children to accept others and welcoming change in all things is an asset to the world over.  Preparing children to love with an open heart and an open mind...........priceless.