Tonight my daughter and I were having the usual, “How was your day?” exchange over the telephone. I told her my day was great and then I added my predictable un-recovered, perfectionist addendum, some comment about something I hadn’t accomplished. She replied musically, using a phrase from a Michael McLean song, only her version had a little twist. The actual words are, “I can’t do everything. I know because I’ve tried …” My daughters words were, “I can’t do everything. I know because my mother tried.”
That made me smile. There are things about me, ways I’ve behave toward life that I don’t want to pass on to my children and grandchildren. Because I work on recovery in the open, in front of my family, they are aware of my weaknesses. That’s OK. There is obvious value when parents pass down righteous traditions. There is also tremendous merit in humbly demonstrating to those we love that we are aware of and desire to address our weaknesses. There are things about our characters that we are not proud of, and things we do not wish to pass down through the generations. Perhaps the most righteous tradition we can pass down to our children has to do with the way we address our own unrighteousness. Jesus gives us the following understanding:
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).
If I practice, in the open, in front of my family, coming unto Christ, in my weakness, and work toward becoming perfected in Him, through Him, and because of Him, perhaps the promise found in Ether 12:27 will not only bless me but my loved ones as well. Maybe my weakness, well addressed, will become their strength! Maybe there are things my kids will know “because their mother tried.”
By Nannette W.
Posted Friday, March 20, 2009
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All rights reserved. Making or sending copies is permitted if the page is not changed in any way and the material is not used for profit. This notice must be included on each copy made or sent.
Your the best and I can attribute anything I do good to you. you are an amazing mother. I love you tons and tons. Thanks for being my best friend!
I so loved this.
This touched me when you shared this at group the other day, especially because I had my daughter right there with me. I can only continue hoping and praying that Heavenly Father will heal my children and provide them with all the things I didn’t, and that my healing and recovery will not be too late a gift for them.