a mother and her children.

I have a friend. He has a blog. He likes to be sad sometimes. I feel like for every sad post he writes, I have to write a happy one, so they will cancel each other out, so that no one in the world will ever know about it. Maybe it works; maybe it doesn't. Either way, I feel like I'm happy enough with myself, my life, and the people around me to keep posting entries that will show my contentment. So, here I post.

On the way home from work today, I was driving down the highway. As I came to a stop at the stop light, I saw some people sitting down in the middle of the sky walk, enjoying the sight of the cars as they sped by on the highway. It wasn't until the light turned green, and I was in the middle of the intersection that I noticed that the people sitting on the sky walk were a mother and her two children, one probably around 4 years old, and one just an infant, in a stroller. As I looked up at them from my car, I could see the mother talking to her older son, probably teaching him something, I assumed.

As I passed them, I thought about what a wonderful mother this lady is, to take her two children somewhere special, where she can spend time with them and take a moment to teach them something new. I'll bet that four-year-old will remember that moment for the rest of his life.

This scene only made me want to do the same for my children. I want to take the time to teach them all the many wonderful things about life. I want to put them first, so they will be raised to the best of my ability. I want to do simple things for them, and spend a little time with them, so they will always know that they are loved. My friend, Celeste, has said to me, "I want to actually get down on my hands and knees and play with my children." The more I think about what she said, the more I decide that I want to do that, too. I want to make memories with my children that they will never forget.

Not only do I want to teach them about life, earth, school subjects, and the simple wonders of everything around them, I also want to teach them about the base of my happiness: the gospel, the church, and Heavenly Father and His love for us. I want to raise them to become strong Latter-Day Saints, and one day, missionaries. I want to watch their lives become blessed by the same thing that blessed mine.

It's funny how many thoughts and decisions come from just seeing people be. I hope, one day, that I can be that mother on the sky walk with my children.