We headed up early to catch a good seat, and we were so glad we did. Lots of folks had similar ideas, so it was nice to be there and not stress over parking. It was about a 1/2 hour car ride, and soaking in that time with this amazing kid is something I strive to be mindful of. I try to turn off any “noise” and just focus on that time together. He is growing into such amazing person, and we feel such a gift as his parents to get a front-row seat in his life journey. The highs are highlights, but some of the things I soak in the most are those lows and hard things he’s overcome and has grown and learned from. As he sat in the seat next to me, reflecting a bit on memories from five states, and attending his sixth school since kindergarten, one of my “mom worries” is that he will sit in resentment for all the change. But instead, his reflections were centered on gratitude, and a resilience that I find myself inspired by. His determination and optimistic outlook on the unknown roads inspires me to continue walking the new and unknown with gratitude as well.
The meeting was packed with awesome insights. Elder Robbins spoke about the youth living in a “decade of decisions” and how many important life choices are made in those 12-22 years. It had me thinking back on that time for both Mike and I - and it was absolutely a decade of decisions! He shared the need to raise a generation of youth who are resilient, who have a vision and purpose for where they are going and what impact their choices have in the future. All kinds of great insights.
Elder Uchtdorf spoke with such amazing wisdom about letting light in, and centering on hope, trust, obedience and truly looking out for and connecting with one another. He spoke about being mindful of grief and knowing that love for others can offer hope and light to all of us. Seeking to build a feeling of “home” and family within our church congregations and communities. One of my favorite quotes was “The Lord did not give us a spirit of fear, but he gave us courage and trust. We must have confidence in Him!” His personal experiences were so powerful. One of the most powerful moments was seeing the time he took with those directly affected by the shooting. So much empathy, love and compassion.
Beautiful.
And I could probably write more notes on the evening and the amazing speakers for days, but I write some of the details so we can remember how powerfully we felt spiritually connected to God that night. How much we felt the light and love and peace. It was tangible. And made for an extra special car ride home with our spiritual buckets filled.
So exited to see this kiddo embrace his “decade of decisions” and being mindful together as we continually strive to center on what matters most.
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