Gittin Mee Sum Edukaytid

My awesome mom took me and my sister to Education Week on Saturday up at Ricks (a.k.a. BYU-I). It was wonderful-to learn, to be touched by the spirit, and to be very very silly.

We walked by the different statues and took pictures of us imitating them. Then we saw a fountain in a really pretty garden area, and Kar and I posed doing "Three Coins in a Fountain", like the guys in the hilarious play Forever Plaid.

After the day was over, we ate at a little place called Chiz's, in St. Anthony. Very, um, small town. They serve Chinese there, as well as burgers. Who knew?

The first class was on marriage. The speaker talked about finding out your spouse's needs, and trying to meet those needs (and have your spouse meet your needs in reciprocation). Find, then meet, the needs of our spouse.

He also said always ask yourself, "What can I do to be a better spouse?", but you could fill in any word: a better parent, or better at my job, etc.

The second class was on the Proclamation to the World, and he focused on one section: Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

A quote by Russell M. Nelson: Marriage—especially temple marriage—and family ties involve covenant relationships. They cannot be regarded casually. With divorce rates escalating throughout the world today, it is apparent that many spouses are failing to endure to the end of their commitments to each other. And some temple marriages fail because a husband forgets that his highest and most important priesthood duty is to honor and sustain his wife. The best thing that a father can do for his children is to “love their mother.” (Here's a link to the talk.)

The third talk was on raising resilient kids, to teach them I am, I can, and I have. We need to teach children to face their problems, to rely on the Lord, and to let them solve problems themselves instead of us rescuing them. Kids look to us to see how we respond to a crisis or to stress; do they see fear or faith? We need to teach them that behavior=consequences. We need to ask them questions on how they are going to solve their problems, (what have you thought of? have you prayed about it?), not tell them what to do (fix it this way, stop doing that, you must, you can't).

The fourth class was on forgiveness, how we need to look past man's faults to eternity. Forgiveness is an act. The sin of refusing to forgive involves us in the sin of refusing to accept Christ's forgiveness. (Read The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom, for the ultimate lesson in forgiveness.)

Our last class was on family time and traditions. She talked about how everything that leads to meaningful family beliefs and a transfer of values is worth keeping. From family home evening, to family scripture study and prayers, to the things we do on holidays like Easter and Christmas, to teaching children to clean and cook, any time spent with children and with family can become a tradition. We should just do our best; it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive-some of the best times and things are free.

It was a very fun, very fulfilling day. Thanks, Mom!