Love and family are the only two things that really matter in life. Love of God, Jesus Christ, His gospel, and our 'neighbor'. And Family because it's the central part of God's plan and we can be together forever.
Last week I wrote my parents a letter:
Dear Mom and Dad:
Today I attended the funeral of a Sister in my ward who lost her fight with cancer. The cancer had been in remission for 18 years and came back in January 2009. Kezia made cards for her and we visited her often. Sister Newby wanted to teach Kezia how to knit doll's clothes.
After this introduction of Sister Newby, what I want to say is that in this funeral I heard something that I wanted to share with you. That we don't express enough our love for our parents, our children, our spouse, and other people we have around because we think they'll be there forever. So, even though I'm so far away, I would like to express my love for you:
I love you, very much, with all my heart. I thank you for having united your lives and having raised us in the truth of the Gospel. Life is not supposed to be easy, but thanks to your good example, our lives have taken good courses, and we continue this circle of life intended to take us back to our Father in Heaven.
I hope you remember that I love you and that it makes me happy being your daughter; that those 25 + years that I lived under your roof made me a good woman, who loves the children that God gave me and want them to know Him and love Him with all their hearts.
On Sunday, at the Youth Fireside, the Bishop's Counselor asked me to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I told them that interestingly last week I had been working, translating an article that defends the theory that the Book of Mormon lands are in Guatemala and Southern Mexico, so I had been studying more profoundly Moroni's comments, especially Ether 8:26, "Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have ano power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be bpersuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all crighteousness and be saved. And Ether 2:15And [he] repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my aSpirit will not always bstrive with man. As well as Moroni chapter 10.
In part, the love that I have for the BoM was an example of my Sister Wendy's love for it and all the missionary work we did in our teenage years. I may have read it 15 times, but every time I find it more interesting, more direct for our day. I hope I always have this love for the BoM. I also told them that in our family we read from the Bible, and that the translation of the BoM directly from heaven to English makes it easy to understand. I hope they always have the desire to read the Book of Mormon.
I love you dearly, Mommy and Daddy. I hope your health and your spirits are up. Please send regards to aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandma Mencha, and Marta.
With love,
Analili"
What I forgot to tell them is that since we are not perfect, I would ask that they forgive me for my offenses, faults, sins, dumb things; and that in that same spirit, I would not remember theirs.
I just read this on forgiveness:
"Pray for strength to forgive those who have wronged you. Abandon feelings of anger, bitterness, or revenge. Look for the good in others rather than focusing on their faults and magnifying their weaknesses. Allow God to be the judge of others' harmful actions. It may be difficult to let go of hurt feelings, but you can do it with the Lord's help. You will find that forgiveness can heal terrible wounds, replacing the poison of contention and hatred with the peace and love that only God can give."
How true, how inspired!
Love + Family = The only things that truly matter in life
