Growing Old

My mom and dad really enjoyed being together; they had a great marriage.  I always knew my mother would pass away first because of her ongoing health problems. And I worried about this day...the day my dad would be all alone.  He is very healthy and mentally alert.  At age 82, he has already surpassed the average lifespan of an American male.  He could very well live another 10 years.  I feel such a responsibility to help him have a happy life. What he wants more than anything is companionship.  He needs people in his life.  The days are very long when you are living alone.  He works at the temple and he volunteers with United Way, but the days are still very long.  My siblings and I all work and have families so we are at our busiest time of life.  We feel like he needs more than what we are offering.  We came up with a plan for each of us to bring him dinner one night a week and eat it with him so that he has company at least a few nights a week.  He loves it.  And so do I. Still, I feel like I need to do more.  I worry about it a lot.  I also wonder if my children will worry about me when I am at that point in my life?  Do we as human beings love each other enough?  Do we care about each other enough?  I want to live my life in such a way that I am always looking out for another human being.

My Son

My son is gay. He told us earlier in the year, and I was not surprised. I had a spiritual impression when he was young that he is gay, so I was prepared for his message. I was able to hug him and tell him how much I love him. I don't know everything, obviously, but I believe in Heavenly Father's plan for us. It is a perfect plan for all of us who are imperfect. The world teaches us that if you are gay, it is who you are; you are defined by that, and you must adopt that lifestyle. God teaches us that we are His children; that our potential is infinite. He also teaches us that our journey here on this earth will be a trial. The trials each one of us endures will be for our benefit and learning. We will need to rely on faith to get us through. If we ARE faithful, God will give us all that He has.

I have heard many people with same-sex attraction say they wish they felt differently. They have a righteous desire for these feelings to go away, and yet more often than not, those powerful feelings remain. There are other trials people have that are contrary to Heavenly Father's plan, like those who are never able to marry.  How about those who are never able to have children?  Aren't these trials also tied to Heavenly Father's plan for us and just as difficult? And yet, if you mention that to someone with same-sex attraction, they are offended you refer to their feelings as a trial, because the world has told them being gay is who they are. Therefore, by calling it a trial or something to overcome, you are essentially telling them THEY as a person are wrong. This is not how God feels about them. This is misinformation by the world.

As I said, I do not know everything. I think that is the point. The test would not be very hard if we had all of the answers. We are supposed to be tested to our very core so that we will rely on God, and only then will we progress. The world does not know this. I am SO grateful to know this. My son chooses to believe what the world has taught him, and not what we have taught him. I have tried to imagine what it would be like to have same-sex attraction, and how that would affect my faith. Would I choose to listen to the world, or would I choose to follow God?

President Trump

Donald Trump will not be the first or last flawed man or woman to enter the White House. We have had, and will have many more to come. I know a lot of people are feeling a myriad of feelings (depending on their views) because of the outcome of this election.

To me, this is just another example of how our journey is here on earth. We will always have opposition in our life. It is what helps us grow and become better people. The outcome of this election does not change who we are. We can still treat each other with kindness. We can still be examples of goodness. We can go to school, go to work, and teach our kids values. What we do with difficult situations in our lives is what makes us who we are. I'm not saying this from the perspective of someone who always makes right choices, but rather someone who is conscious of that, and who keeps trying even when I make mistakes.

This election has taught me to value the opinions of others, even if the opinions don't match mine. It has helped me understand my children better, my friends better and people I don't even know that well... understand what is important to them, and to be OK with that.

For what it's worth, I'm grateful to be an American. I'm grateful I was able to struggle through this election and come to a decision as difficult as it was and then to follow through on that decision.

God Bless America!

One-sided Media

My son took an AP Government class last year.  His assignment was to research TV and Radio news shows and see if they are fair or one-sided.  His group came to the conclusion that Fox News is one-sided (to the right).  I couldn't believe that was the conclusion.  The majority of news media stations out there are liberal.  Fox News is one of the few outlets where you can actually get some conservative news.  It just goes to show that education is also liberal.  Unless you attend a religious school, you are likely to be fed liberal ideas. I've noticed with liberalism, there is not much tolerance for anything else but liberalism.  At BYU, we are taught to think about all sides of the issues and come to our own conclusions.