WE FORGET OUR PARENTS!

I talked in church last week--"Reaching out to others, cultivating friendships." Here are some of the topics I talked about:

• Personal History--I adore them all--they are my true friends
• Be a friend to your employer--never badmouth them, etc.
• Friendship through communication--all types--my faves: email and texting
  
• Visiting teaching--I gave four examples of really great women why I am privileged to visit and one of them is my visiting teaching partner
  
• Blog--I've met some precious friends here that I wouldn't have met any other way
  
• Service
• Be led by the Spirit
• Most important goal is to be a friend to the Savior
• Joseph Smith--"friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism."
• Prayer--a dear friend, who is experiencing some hard times told me, "I don't know what to pray for anymore." After thinking about it for a day I told her, "When you don't know what to pray for, pray for peace"--the Savior said to all of us: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30).

And then I wrapped it all up and bore my testimony and sat down. Only today did I realize I forgot one of the most important friendships we can have on this earth--that of our parents.

I am who I am--good, bad, or indifferent, in large part because of my mother. I owe her more than is ever possible to pay back. I apologize to her, right here on this humble little blog.

I'm not the only one who has neglected gratitude for parents. A while back a couple spoke in Sacrament Meeting. They gave fabulous talks of gratitude and they forgot to mention their parents. One set of their parents have welcomed them back into their home to live while he goes to school. This will be for several years.

So, I'm not the only one. Why do we forget our parents?

It's a mistake and I'm sorry I made it.

CRICKET THE GOOD DOG, ZOEY THE NOT-SO-GOOD

This is Cricket. He is a wonderful dog, very well trained, friendly, and never leaves the yard unless with his owner, He sat on my lap, yesterday, to be pampered.
And this is Cricket and Zoey. Zoey is a four-month-old puppy and very untrained, undisciplined and doesn't seem to be bonding with her owner, who is an older lady who has lost her husband and really needs a friend. Zoey is not a friend, she is an escape artist, intent only on her own agenda.
Zoey was put into a pen so we could see how quickly she escapes, which was so fast I only got one picture. She climbs up the wire until she is over the top and out.

Cricket is very perplexed. Why would anyone want to cage the puppy? Because the puppy is annoying, that's why. Everyone knows it but the owner, who wants to see the best in her fluffy mop-dog.

And that is like parents too. We want to see the best in our kids and so we only see the good things. Our parents did the same and then we stepped up to the mark and became better people. But, when we were little there was much training and teaching. The same for our kids. But Zoey is not getting any training or discipline. I don't see her becoming a good doggie anytime soon. I hope I am wrong. Her owner deserves better.