I was up every hour and a half with the baby last night and so I'm sitting out church this morning in hopes that my eye balls might begin to feel like they won't roll out of my head at any given second. I'm going to sleep shortly but before I do I found this post on a mormon blog I actually found through The Huffington Post. How's that for irony, my Republican Friend? And you know who you are. My staunchly republican friend can't understand my affinity to get news through what she believes is a pathetic excuse for a news outlet, but the feeling is mutual...ahem, Fox News. You know I love you, Republican Friend. We've had a lot of good discussions about politics and it would be no fun to talk about it with someone who thought the same way I did about it all.
The author is a woman newly divorced with three children, one who is autistic. Her ex-husband is apparently not in the picture any more. Her post deals with what it feels like for those who feel they fall far short of the "ideal" mormon family. It made me cry and made me really think what it must feel like to sit every Sunday listening to what your life should be like when through no fault of your own, it is not. If you read through the comments there is a good debate about how helpful it really is to teach the ideal week after week. I don't know what the answer is. I always love to read each side of a debate. Good points on both sides. I think in general teaching church doctrine with more sensitivity and empathy should be more front and center.
3 comments:
I've always hated hearing about what my life SHOULD be or COULD be if I did everything I was told to do. My life has been one of mis-haps and mistakes, and I've never tried to sweep them under the rug. I think it's better to let people know that I screwed up or had bad luck, but it didn't kill me. And overall, I think I'm a better person for admitting that, than not. I can't be the ideal, and I resent being told that I can and should. Know what I mean?
I relate completely with that woman. I remember sitting with my daughter at some YW big event night listening to the speaker talk about how her husband, her eternal companion, would never hurt her and how beautifully perfect their life was, and thinking "Why the hell do I subject myself to this?" Unfortunately, it hit my daughter pretty much the same way. It's good to strive for a "perfect" life, but it's tough to be participate in activities when you are always the odd one out. We just need to always remember no one really has a "perfect" life.
Post a Comment