Knowing Better Now What I Didn't Know Then

Eli and Reggie, my firstborn and granddog

Baby Sawyer and Chelsea

Brittany, Jordan, Annie and Jake, rounding out the family

I love my children and grandchildren more than life itself. I honor them on Day 6 of things I love as Valentine's Day gets closer and closer. I remember 30+ years ago sitting in Tuesday morning Relief Society meetings in the old Berkeley Ward building on Walnut and Vine and listening to Marilyn Chamberlain, a mother of 5 young children, teach the mother education classes. The lesson was always well-prepared and she had excellent ideas that she shared with us, but what I enjoyed the most were the comments from the seasoned women in the room, the ones who had raised their families, had often already lost their husbands, and patiently listened to alot of the prattle back and forth between the young mothers and the mothers of teenagers. And then occasionally, and usually very quietly, one of these older women would insert somewhere into the discussion, "Just love them." While we were all buzzing about the hows, whens, and ifs..."Just love them," somehow seemed to be the advice that they knew would stand the test of time. I didn't always understand it back then. I wanted formulas and sure knowledge, self-help books and concrete guidance. I don't know if any of that mattered. In hindsight I think I'd throw out Dr. Spock as my resource for answers and concentrate more on the scriptures. Surely the Savior's words to us guided those of the wise old sisters, "As I have loved you, love one another".