Lu Shun, the revolutionary Chinese author, wrote a short story about a father who was writing for a scholarly journal about a Happy Family. He was constantly being interrupted in his writing by people who demanded his attention: his wife and his children. I think the irony of the story is clear just from those two sentences. But the take home message for me is that a happy family is the one you have.
That doesn't mean there won't be unpleasant interruptions.
Perhaps it's these unpleasant interruptions that are what life's all about anyway.
A family is a unique social situation. When you work with people, if you don't like it you can quit. If your acquaintance is no longer satisfactory, you can break off communication with little pain. But a family, especially in the LDS tradition and faith, is an eternal thing. That's something that I don't fully understand and which at turns scares me to death and gives me the greatest hope.
How long is eternity, anyway?
My sweet mother, in deciding whether to marry my father or not, was clearly told that this was the right choice for her. It was unmistakable and undeniable. And to her everlasting credit, she acted on it and made it her life. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health.
Marriage is the only family choice we get to make. The rest of our family relationships are determined by genetics. It is interesting, then, that my parents, my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc are some of the finest people I know. Without exception, they are great people, strong parents, and worthy of praise. They have begun their own families from which they derive appropriate pleasure.
My children are truly a gift from a loving Father. Both of them shared their unprompted and unsolicited testimonies on Sunday during our fast and testimony meeting. Their expressions of faith speak of an innate goodness, a strength of character, and a love and respect of things that are sacred and holy. This has to do with the environment in which they find themselves, to be sure. But it also speaks of a knowledge that is greater, a faith that is deeper, than anything my wife and I could have done. They are sweet and loving and kind and talented. They love each other and love to spend time with us (my wife and I).
So how do I find a happy life? I think it boils down to my family.
That doesn't mean there won't be unpleasant interruptions.
Perhaps it's these unpleasant interruptions that are what life's all about anyway.
A family is a unique social situation. When you work with people, if you don't like it you can quit. If your acquaintance is no longer satisfactory, you can break off communication with little pain. But a family, especially in the LDS tradition and faith, is an eternal thing. That's something that I don't fully understand and which at turns scares me to death and gives me the greatest hope.
How long is eternity, anyway?
My sweet mother, in deciding whether to marry my father or not, was clearly told that this was the right choice for her. It was unmistakable and undeniable. And to her everlasting credit, she acted on it and made it her life. For better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health.
Marriage is the only family choice we get to make. The rest of our family relationships are determined by genetics. It is interesting, then, that my parents, my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc are some of the finest people I know. Without exception, they are great people, strong parents, and worthy of praise. They have begun their own families from which they derive appropriate pleasure.
My children are truly a gift from a loving Father. Both of them shared their unprompted and unsolicited testimonies on Sunday during our fast and testimony meeting. Their expressions of faith speak of an innate goodness, a strength of character, and a love and respect of things that are sacred and holy. This has to do with the environment in which they find themselves, to be sure. But it also speaks of a knowledge that is greater, a faith that is deeper, than anything my wife and I could have done. They are sweet and loving and kind and talented. They love each other and love to spend time with us (my wife and I).
So how do I find a happy life? I think it boils down to my family.
Comments
You can spend all your time moaning about what isn't, or can't be, or you can look around at what you have, and who surrounds you and chose to find joy in it.
Sadly, some days I have to actually tell myself "This is what you want, and you are happy" because I forget. But I too feel very blessed for the loving family that is mine.
Some days (Like when my boys are fighting) it's harder to convince myself that I am happy, than others *wink*