Youth

Today at our ward meeting someone asked me if had any great grandchildren. My virtual image of myself is still young and that was a blow to it. My oldest grandson Tyler turned thirteen this week. We talked on FaceTime for a while. I said something to the effect that he would be going on a mission. And he replied something like, “Yeah Grandpa, I’ll be going in five years.” That really blew me away. Five years seemed so short. I can remember taking him to his kindergarten class and hundreds of other things that we have shared. I want so much of the best for him and he has so much of his life ahead of him.

Today a member of our ward took us to see a family where the mother had died just a couple of months ago. We met the teenage daughter on the street as walked toward the house. She warned us that her father was tomado or drunk. Then we met the father staggering around the street. It was a little after ten in the morning. He invited us into his house and I cringed thinking of some of the houses of drunks I have visited over my lifetime, expecting broken bottles and broken furniture and an unearthly smell. The house was beautiful. It reminded me of a teenager’s bedroom. Then I realized that beautiful young teenage girl we had met on way here had taken over the duties of her mother. What a heavy responsibility to put upon someone who looked like she was barely fifteen, but she took it upon herself. I suddenly felt the same way about her as I had about my grandson. I wanted the best of everything for her. My wife and I are going to pass by to see her again and see what we can do to help and encourage her.

Back at the ward, I encountered another teenage girl, gazing intently at her cell phone. I struck up a conversation with her, and, her aunt, who was standing by her, told me that the young lady had lost her father just two years ago to alcoholism and that she was staying with them. I stretched on my and shook hers saying, “I’m so impressed with you being here at Church when you have so little support at home. I know it’s not easy.” She gave me a shy smile. I wanted all of the best for her too. I was her age nearly fifty years ago.

Fifty years ago I made some disastrous decisions and some really great ones. Somehow the good far outweighed the bad. Many of my friends of that era were not so blessed. As I look back now, what mattered most was the support I received from people like my mother, grandparents, cousins, aunt, and uncle that helped me make it through that tumultuous time in my life. I had so little experience and wisdom but a lot of dreams.