My family is crazy. And yes, I know that everyone thinks that about their family. But other people think that about our family, too, so it must be true. We have many problems and dysfunctions, but one thing I will always be grateful for? One thing my family does right? My parents always taught me that, no matter what, family always comes first. We have to love each other, no matter what.
Lately, I've been thinking about this a lot. With my recent baptism, more light has been shed onto this subject. I've learned a few things that I would like to discuss more in depth:
1.) You should always try to be as nice as possible to your family, because you're stuck with them forever (see Temple Marriage). Your family is the only group of people that will love you no matter what. Why risk messing that up? And for those of you who don't like your family so much, when you are stuck in a circumstance, you should always try to make the best of it. God puts us on Earth to learn lessons and to grow in our faith. Part of this experience includes building a family of our own, and also being a part of the family we were born into. Both of these roles are essential in making our way back to our Heavenly Father. We have guidlines for exactly how to perform both of these roles. It would be just plain silly to not follow them!
2.) Your family shouldn't be just an annoyance, it should be an annoyance that also acts as a support system. No, you are not the only person who is hugely annoyed by their family. I pinky swear. But they are here solely for your benefit. The Lord made them annoying, because he knew that it's what we need sometimes! That constant nudge in the ribs to do better.
3.) We are only hard on our family members because we expect the best from them. My brother and I have been very close since birth. He is my best friend, my whole world, and the only person who can make me want to rip my hair out, cry, and hug him all at the same time. When he messes up or does something stupid, I am incredibly hard on him, as he is on me. We sometimes may not understand why our family can't just support us and shut their mouths, but their criticism comes from a place of love, and a better understanding of you than even you yourself possess. We expect more from our family members because we know exactly how amazing they are capable of being, and we know that they know better than to make thoughtless, careless mistakes.
My family is my everything, and I've done my fair share of messing things up with them. I'm grateful to have one of the most caring, forgiving, embracing, wonderful, BEAUTIFUL families of all time!
Lately, I've been thinking about this a lot. With my recent baptism, more light has been shed onto this subject. I've learned a few things that I would like to discuss more in depth:
1.) You should always try to be as nice as possible to your family, because you're stuck with them forever (see Temple Marriage). Your family is the only group of people that will love you no matter what. Why risk messing that up? And for those of you who don't like your family so much, when you are stuck in a circumstance, you should always try to make the best of it. God puts us on Earth to learn lessons and to grow in our faith. Part of this experience includes building a family of our own, and also being a part of the family we were born into. Both of these roles are essential in making our way back to our Heavenly Father. We have guidlines for exactly how to perform both of these roles. It would be just plain silly to not follow them!
2.) Your family shouldn't be just an annoyance, it should be an annoyance that also acts as a support system. No, you are not the only person who is hugely annoyed by their family. I pinky swear. But they are here solely for your benefit. The Lord made them annoying, because he knew that it's what we need sometimes! That constant nudge in the ribs to do better.
3.) We are only hard on our family members because we expect the best from them. My brother and I have been very close since birth. He is my best friend, my whole world, and the only person who can make me want to rip my hair out, cry, and hug him all at the same time. When he messes up or does something stupid, I am incredibly hard on him, as he is on me. We sometimes may not understand why our family can't just support us and shut their mouths, but their criticism comes from a place of love, and a better understanding of you than even you yourself possess. We expect more from our family members because we know exactly how amazing they are capable of being, and we know that they know better than to make thoughtless, careless mistakes.
My family is my everything, and I've done my fair share of messing things up with them. I'm grateful to have one of the most caring, forgiving, embracing, wonderful, BEAUTIFUL families of all time!
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