Wow! Takes more than a bit of courage to write about family relationships at this time in my life­—or at a few other times, if I am to be completely honest!

As a result of a certain amount of angst about, and a bit of discouragement, I hesitate to ‘set myself up as a light to the world’ on this topic.

So. . . I am going to begin this newsletter by quoting from a woman (Tamara S. Runia) whose comments and talks always speak to me and bring light (and a resolve to be better) to my mind! At least two of her talks center on family relationships and personal growth.

“Families are a God-given laboratory where we’re figuring things out, so missteps and miscalculations are not just possible but probable. And wouldn’t it be interesting if, at the end of our lives, we could see that those relationships, even those challenging moments, were the very things that helped us to become more like our Savior?  Family relationships [are] a powerful vehicle to teach us the lessons we came here to learn.”

Happiness in family life, to my mind, can only be achieved when gratitude and appreciation for each other are cultivated in the heart and soul of each family member and expressed often. There can exist no hint of selfishness but only—and always— a desire to seek what is best for others rather than for ourselves! An ‘Attitude of Gratitude’ is, to my mind, a very important aspect and a key to achieving happiness and harmony in family life!

Trying to understand another’s point of view can help family members better understand one another and help us to empathize with that point of view and freely forgive when necessary.