DAY 14 of 50 – Family isn’t always Family

My ward has a great tradition: the first Monday of each month is Empty Nesters’ Family Home Evening. I still remember my first week living here – I went to church, and my ex and I sat near the back. A woman came up to me and asked, “Do you have any kids living at home?” “No,” was the answer – and she handed me a piece of paper, and said, “Come to this.” And POOF she was gone. So, we went, and I’ve gone almost every month since.

   Although nearly-50 isn’t considered “young” by most, in this group I am YOUNG! Many of them have kids my age. Most are retired. I am easily 20 years younger than the average-age in the group. But none of that matters. We meet every month as “Family” and they are very much Family to me.

   With my parents both gone, being part of this group has been incredibly comforting to me. In fact, they remind me very much of the Study Group that my parents were part of for years – a group that was more family to me than my own extended family ever was. Sure, the “official reason” for meeting was a Gospel Study fireside – but us kids all know that it was just an excuse for them to get together, eat yummy food, and visit. Well, that’s probably pretty close to the reason for this group too.

   I can honestly say that I love this amazing group of people. There is a staggering accumulation of Life Experiences in this group, and from my observations over these past few years I can see a few of the lessons those experiences have taught them:

     Genuineness – There is no pretense in this group. They know who they are and they are true to themselves.

     Caring – There is a warmth borne of decades of raising families together that fosters a deep caring for each other. They love each other and watch out for each other.

     Christlike Love – These people not only know the gospel better than most, but they truly live it. And they live it in the most unpretentious way – much like the Savior would.

   They say you can’t choose your family, but I disagree. I have chosen them to be my family, and I’m grateful that they have included and enveloped me as one of their own.