The Road Less Traveled

I have wanted to write a blog for a few weeks but nothing would come to mind. Maybe I had writers block. I doubt that because I am not a writer. I think the issue is that unlike a journal a blog is something others will read and like our mothers before us would say, "If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all." I have two journals one is my blog (because it is a hip way to journal) and one is my journal. In my white journal, there are all of my feelings good or bad. This will need to be buried when I die, then I have my regular journal or now blog that others can read. Now, you might say who are you not going to say nice things about and it is not who most of you are thinking.

Last night after more tears were shed (I did not think I could produce that man tears) I starting to pray. I have spent time on my knees during this situation but I really plead to our Father in Heaven. I am not perfect, I like to joke and say I am Mary Poppins, who is practically perfect in every way. Nevertheless, I am not even close to her. I have my own demons that live hidden in the back of my closet but I have tried to live a good life.

I have a pioneer heritage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My family knew Joseph Smith and followed Brigham Young on the exodus west. My ninth Great Grandfather even has a few sections of the Doctrine and Covenants written to him. I have never known another way, but I know where I am at is the right place for my family. I have some dear friends from other faiths and I do not want to diminish or make light of what they believe. Because I am happy, to have friends that are good Christian people and those people have been just as important to me as my LDS friends have. In fact, my three most trusted advisors have been of other faiths. However, they gave me the same advice that my lovely Bishop gave to me.

Now, I can get to the heart of my blog. Everyone has agency that is a gift we received when we came to Earth. It was part of the plan. Some people like Mother Theresa used her agency to lift people up others like Stalin tore people down. However, each of us has a right to choose for ourselves. This does not apply to totally to children because they are supposed to do what their parents ask them to do. It is hard to teach your children about agency and not look like a hypocrite yourself. Because you know, your mistakes are what they are going to look at first.

The tricky part of life is when what we used to believe is not what we believe now. Rather it is a family tradition that occurs once a year or something that can change the outcome of a life. Children look up to their parents, we as parents ask our parents for advice on raising kids. Nevertheless, agency is still ours, it is still the gift that we were given and it belongs to us. Therefore, the question is how do we use our agency and still teach our children. I do not know the answer. Other than at a certain age, children get to use their agency and hopefully we have taught them to go to their Father in Heaven and ask for his advice.

I would like to close with a few stanzas from Robert Frost's poem. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference