{four eyes!}

I have had "glasses" since I started elementary school. I don't have terrible vision, but bad enough that glasses help headaches to go away and I stop squinting. When I was younger {like elementary-middle school} I owned glasses, but didn't wear them often because I felt self conscious. I would compare myself to others. People looked at me funny when I wore glasses. I thought girls looked much prettier when they weren't wearing glasses. (Isn't it funny sad how early this mentality starts?)

I can remember a time, around first grade {I think} where after talking with my Mom and Dad, I decided I would wear my glasses while I was at school. I woke up one morning, arrived at school and put my backpack away. Throughout the morning I felt fine. I could actually see the board without squinting and it seemed a lot easier to focus because I didn't have to worry about actually seeing what my teacher was writing on the board. Then the time for recess came. My older sister was in the grade right above me and we happened to have recess at the same time. I often saw her/played with her during recess. I can remember playing on a tire swing with Lindsay. {Aren't those the greatest and worst at the same time?} These older boys came over and demanded we get off the tire swing and let them get on. They saw my glasses and I remember them calling me "four eyes" and then telling us to get off the swing again. I don't remember exactly what Lindsay said, but I remember her sticking up for me. Something about me being her little sister and they needed to be nice and could play on the swing when we were done. She must have been scary enough, because the boys left us alone so we could finish playing on the swing..

Being called "four eyes" hurt, but something I remember more than those sad feelings is how happy I was/am to have a sister who would stick up for me. We talk about this story even now, 16 years later.  "Remember when we were playing on that tire swing and those boys called me "four eyes...." It's a good reminder of what a great sister Lindsay is and how family should treat their family members. 

Now that I have Abbigail and another baby girl on the way, I can't help but wonder if they will have a similar relationship to the one Lindsay and I have had over the years. Abbi and new baby girl will be two years apart. My hope for Abbi and her little sister is that even though there will be fights, love will win out in the end. Even though they will steal each others clothes and blame their messy room on each other and often just flat out annoy one another, they will also be each others best friend. I want them to laugh, play Barbies together, listen to Backstreet Boys while they clean their room together and just love each other.

If a similar situation happened to Abbigail and her little sister, my hope would be they would love each other enough and have enough courage to stick up for one another. I want my girls to always feel loved and accepted by their family members regardless if they are at home, school, church, etc. It shouldn't matter who is around or who you are trying to impress, putting your sister down to feel accepted by others is NEVER the right answer. I have many concerns about raising kids. How will I teach them "this or that?" What if they don't understand? But of all the life lessons I want them to learn, this is probably most important in my book. I want them to love each other.  Really love one another. 

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"Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships. It is the bond that unites families, communities, and nations. Love is the power that initiates friendship, tolerance, civility, and respect. It is the source that overcomes divisiveness and hate. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk.”

- President Dieter F. Utchdorf