First Day of School, Eternal Lessons of Life

If you ask me what I want for my kids, I think I can narrow it down to three things (which, listen, is really narrowed and generalized, but just go with it):

I want them to be kind.

I want them to be righteous.

I want them to be confident.

Kindness and righteousness are two things they will always, always, be having to work on.  It is something I am always, always having to work on.  It's personal and individual and developmental and one-step-forward-and-three-steps-back and mostly out of my control.

So my little loves, get to work.  And don't stop working.  Because kindness and righteousness: that's Jesus, and whelp, if you've got Jesus and you emulate Jesus, you've got this and you've got it.

But confidence.  I don't know how you get that.  I don't know where it comes from. I know you all have it...right now.  But I'm scared you'll lose it.  I'm scared life will happen and people will disappoint you and you will disappoint you and that confidence will get chipped away.  And guys, I don't want you to lose an ounce.  I love the twinkle in Ryder's eye, the sureness in Linley's step, the sparkle in Tessa's smile.  I love that you know who you are and who you are is good and smart and strong and true (shoot, let's throw in a loyal and call you a Cougar).  I love that you know God and you trust God and you know me and you trust me.  But I'm scared life will happen and God will disappoint you and I will disappoint you and that confidence will get chipped away. 

So here's what I say: Let life knock you down.  Let your faith be shaken.  Be disappointed.  Have doubts.  Ask questions.  But don't stop hoping.  Hope that you will get back up.  Hope that your faith with flourish.  Hope in people.  Hope in you. Hope the Atonement is real.  Hope God is relevant and He knows you and He loves you.  Because I don't know how you get confidence.  I don't know where it comes from.  But I think hope has got to have something to do with the whole of it.

To my kindergartner, my 3rd grader and my 5th grader:

 go forth twinkling, sparkling and sure.  

Go forth hopeful.  

Go forth kind, righteous and confident.