Being a young mom with a few young children, I'm constantly learning things. Children go through different stages in life; they change, grow and develop. I try to keep up with all these changes and accommodate my parenting to each of their needs. For instance, Elisabeth is at a point in life where she likes to be with other friends, interacting and playing make believe. So I try and go to the park a few times a week and do playgroups with friends so that she has other little children to play with. Charles is at a stage(and he's been here for quite some time) where he wants to do everything himself from getting his own food to taking off his clothes to washing himself to changing his own diaper. And so, even though it makes a lot more work for me(it's much easier and quicker to just do everything myself!), I allow him to help..I teach him how to do something and he learns though it may take several times...and a lot of patience on my part. Annabelle is at a stage where she is wanting interaction, she's all about smiles and baby talk, just hoping that someone will come over and smile and coo back. This stage is an easy one for our family to adapt to because we all LOVE to play with Annabelle. All of these stages are fun and exciting though sometimes, as the mom, I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with the constant change and action in our home. This brings me to a motto that I've taken on in life which is to, "cheerfully persevere." Now, I am sure not everyone agrees with this motto, some people think you are fake or a phony if you are always trying to be happy but I disagree. I think that you are what you do, and if you do something long enough(i.e. act a certain way) it will become so deeply ingrained into your mind and your soul that it will shape your whole self.
President Uchtdorf gave a talk in the April 2008 general conference called, Faith of our Father. He told of a time when President Monson went to Germany for a conference. While there, he asked Elder Uchtdorf if they could pay a visit to another friend in the gospel who was bedridden. Elder Uchtdorf-knowing that President Monson had recently undergone foot surgery- told him that he lived on the 5th floor of an apartment building with no elevators. President Monson insisted on going. President Uchtdorf remembers, "..how difficult it was for President Monson to climb those stairs. He could take only a few at a time before needing to stop and rest. He never uttered a word of complaint, and he would not turn back. Because the building had high ceilings, the stairs seemed to go on forever, but President Monson cheerfully persevered until we arrived at the apartment of Brother Panitsch on the fifth floor."
I hope that I can be like President Monson with all of my little(and big) trials. What a good mother and spouse-and friend, sibling, co-worker etc- you could be if you could follow his example and cheerfully persevere throughout life without uttering words of complaint, but rather, building people up with words of encouragement, love and hope. During my scripture study last week I also came across this passage in Alma 17 that says, "yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." I love it! I'm so grateful for all the many resources we have available to us to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ so that we can be uplifted and edified and in turn lift and strengthen those around us.
