See the Good

Issues, issues, issues. So many issues.

There were two weeks in January where I plodded through the days, totally overwhelmed by the issues of the individuals in our home — -myself included!

And then it happened.

Our eighth grader was moaning about not having a friend to dress up with for “Twin Day” at school. By the end of the evening, she came to me with a plan. Her best friend had agreed to dress up with her since they had matching t-shirts and joggers.

Never you mind that her best friend was her older sister who had just moved across the state to attend college. They both began that Friday dressed as “twinners” in their different cities and sent each other pictures as proof. Our eighth grader was blissfully content as she marched off to school. She had a friend.

Watching this experience unfold warmed my heart and melted the negative blinders off my parenting eyes. Quite abruptly, the good happening around me became more obvious than the “issues” that had been blocking my view.

For example, after trying to convince our second grader to clear his mudroom hooks of unneeded summer attire and getting absolutely nowhere, I watched in awe as Big Brother piped up, “Hey, you know what I do? I put the jackets that I only use every once in awhile in my room and put the stuff I use every day on my hooks. It works great!” Second Grader considered the concept and decided if his cool brother thought it worked well, he would try it.

Our fourth grader struggles socially, and his anxiety in front of groups keeps him from trying new things. After watching him sing and put on new voices around the house, his older sister convinced him to try a community children’s theater group with her. The first few meetings were rough. He was a walking, talking insecurity. But in the end, this ten-year-old was given a substantial part in the play. We are now watching him blossom and gain confidence, one practice at a time, because his sister saw his potential and walked in a new direction with him.

So I guess I am learning that we see whatever we’re looking for. There is good happening around us — -in our homes, in our schools, in our churches, and in our communities. We can see it, and even better, we can be a part of it. One person can make a difference!

As recently taught by President Susan H. Porter, General Primary President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “After you receive the Holy Ghost, you can see the needs of others in a new way. You can pray to Heavenly Father and say, “Help me know who I can help today.” Then the Holy Ghost can help you notice someone sitting alone or tell you to say hi to a friend. You make a big difference when you choose to help others.” 1

I want to be like that!