What I Hope to Teach My Children

My friend Jake sent a link to a video that I highly recommend you take a few minutes to watch. Here's the link.

We had a financial advisor (I think that's what he is, anyway) come and talk to us the other night. With Dave turning 30 last year and us still trying to finish his undergraduate, I started to get really concerned about what we're going to do for retirement, to save money for our children's missions, college, etc. We decided we would like to set up a savings account for each of them, but we don't want them to know about it so they'll put in the work necessary to do as much as they can on their own first. However, after talking to him and looking at all of the decisions in the air, how to budget for adding in an IRA or savings for our children or whatever else, etc., I really felt a heavy heart and a little bit overwhelmed by it all.

However, after I watched this video, I decided that with all of the things I really want to provide for my children, the things I hope most to teach them were evidenced by this story. I want them to be kind, to choose kindness and to be aware of other people's loads and always looking for ways to lift them instead of adding to them. I want them to learn to always return thanks to the Lord for any gift that comes their way, and likewise to always look to Him for ways to be an answer to other people's prayers (offered or unoffered). I want to teach them that people are more important than things, and no sacrifice of things is too great if it will help someone in need. I think Elder Wirthlin (former apostle in our church) would have included all of these lessons under the umbrella of charity, the pure love of Christ (for a great talk on charity -- really, truly amazing talk -- click on this link.

So - though I really want to have enough money for my children to have music lessons (I think Abby's going t.o be a percussionist) and receive an education from the school of their choice (even if that school doesn't offer scholarships) and have the weddings of their dreams (without all the stresses that money or lack thereof can add to such momentous occasions), the things I want them to have the most don't cost anything; and that is really important.

After thinking about this, and crying a little as I watched this video clip with Abby, I wondered of I practice these things, since it is my example that is going to teach them what I hope they learn. I know I don't. Especially right now in my life, I feel very self-centered and self-focused; and I don't really know how to get out of it right now. So that is my challenge to myself today. With all the things I'm constantly thinking about, all the things I may be complaining about or stressing over, I am going to work harder to find ways to reach out to others, to look outside myself, to lift burdens instead of adding rocks to already heavy backpacks, and to show others the pure and unconditional love of Christ.