Grandma's Joy

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend (GR. Translation: Cause to stumble) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Why do I have empathy for children? Perhaps it was a gift from the pre-existence. Maybe it has to do with having vivid memories of my childhood. Or maybe it comes from some memories, which are cloudy and black, of having grown up the victim of incest. Whatever the reasons, this quote reverberates with me on a deep level. So much so, that recent events in the news have been extremely troubling. I won’t go into the political ramifications, the rightness and/or wrongness of circumstances as they have developed except to say that I am grateful that my growing up was tempered by genuine, healthy love from some of the people around me and that I grew up "in the world" not isolated from it. I am also glad that my great-grandfather chose to follow the prophet at the time of the Manifesto. That, too, is a complicated story. It is not a tidy package, wrapped up neatly. There are always consequences to whatever decisions are made. So why do I choose this photo today? Because, even in the midst of trials, there is joy to be found, and because May 1 is Stephanie’s 10th birthday. Her arrival and subsequent life has brought a lot of joy to this family. On the evening this picture was taken, Stephanie was ready to leave for her dance recital. The shirt was part of her outfit. It was a joyful occasion to be a part of. And this Grandma feels joy every time she sees Stephanie and other children being treated with respect. It is very hard to be a parent (or even grandparent, for that matter). Life is so immediate and the rewards of loving choices can seem very far away. The challenges now are multiplied greatly since my children were young but my memory of how hard it can be remains with me. So here’s to all the people who are making the effort to help the children of today learn how to experience deep joy, now and forever. And, by the way, Happy Birthday Stephanie! Is this the first time it snowed on your special day?