Gratitude for Family

In the last week or so I have completed an assignment in my Family Relations class that has truly opened my eyes. I know that this is often what students tell their teachers to hopefully get a good grade- and while I would appreciate a good grade, that is not the reason why I say this assignment I’ve completed has opened my eyes. This project was to create a metaphor for my family and then write a paper about the tendencies and relationships of my family members. As I went about my project, I thought it would be like a lot of other assignments I’ve done for school- neither good or bad. However I was struck while writing my paper, how grateful I am for my family. It may be because I live away from them for the first time, or because I have put thought into it. My family has truly made me who I am today. I know that I have been guilty in the past of thinking only of the negative aspects of my family- however I know now that that is unfair. Each family has their strong and weak points. But I believe that my family has the strong points where it really counts. We spend time together, we pray together, we serve together and we eat together. We genuinely enjoy each other’s presence and we have an open home to all of our friends and family. And the single greatest thing I am most grateful for in my family is that my parents have raised us with Christ as the center of our home. I cannot think of a better way to raise a family- in fact there is no better way to raise your family. And I have resolved to be more open with my family and the love I feel for them.

Make a list of the things you’re grateful for in relation to your family- it may just surprise you how much there is!

I love, love.

This week was Valentine's Day as many of you know, and this Valentine's Day I thought of love, not of relationships, chocolate and flowers. I was not sure how I was going to put it into words, but then a dear friend of mine posted this on her facebook wall,

"I was thinking about love. Love certainly has become conditional. While loving your friends and family is so natural and easy, loving those who insult you, or disagree with you, or harm you is so much harder, some might say impossible. But Christ was able to love those who harmed him, those who insulted him, those who killed him. That is perfect love. He died for everyone's sins, not just his friends. He died for strangers who he had not even met. That is because he didn't see them as strangers, but as brothers and sisters. Perfect love, for your self, and for others and be achieved through Christ by Following his example."

I have come to realize that Valentine's Day is about loving your friends, family and even strangers. It is a day where we all come together and celebrate love. And love is something we all need more of. The Savior loves us in such a perfect way, and we should strive to love as He does. As we do so, we will feel closer to Him, as well as acquiring a greater love for Him.

Differences is Gender

I have found that in studying gender roles in the home over the last few days has been very interesting to me.

What stuck out to me most was the fact that men and women have very different, but equally important roles to play in the family life.

Where men lack, women make up.

And where women lack, men make up for it.

The differences between genders is a good and natural thing, and should be embraced, not hidden. Men and women are different.

And those differences is what make marriages and family life work so well.

I know that in my life, in a past relationship, when I lacked a certain characteristic my boyfriend has been able to help me in developing new characteristics.

And he was able to teach me to do things that I might never have learned otherwise ("manly" things). I really like that when we are in a relationship with the opposite gender, our differences is what make the relationship work.

And that we both have so much to bring to the table, and so much that we can learn from others.

 

We should celebrate our differences, not try to hide them!