Deep Thoughts--"Is Anybody Listening To Me?"

I just saw this quote on Sally Meyers Taylor's blog and I really liked it.

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal, is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey...delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas, and thrilling bursts of speed.
The trick is to THANK the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Gordon B. Hinkley

I think so often I feel like I have to stand out and be the best at some things or have my kids be the best and when we are not I feel. . . disturbed. I really liked this story that a man told in a stake conference in Oregon. He started off his talk by saying how great his oldest son was. He was super smart and graduated with all these honors and went on to college and got more honors and ended up with a fantastic job and he just went on and on about this son and all his accomplishments. I was starting to wonder what his point was with all his bragging.

But then he started to talk about his younger son. He said he didn't excel at anything really and he was really difficult because he had autism. And that son didn't really do things to make this dad proud. And he remembers carrying his son out of the mall screaming and causing a huge commotion, and it was hard for the dad. But at one point when he was struggling with the difficulty of having this son he realized that is wasn't about him. It was about the boy and helping him to be his best.

I liked this because it is so easy to get caught up in my kids and how proud they can make me, but the truth is life isn't about how they will reflect on me and how good they can make me look. It is about doing all I can to make sure they are going to make it.