Sometimes this is hard

Motherhood.  It's never been for the faint of heart.  Probably never will be.

Yet, here I am.  (And I think my heart is a little faint.)

There are as many ways for children to struggle as there are children in the world.  Sometimes their struggles are physical--health related.  Sometimes they're social, sometimes they're emotional.  It's just always something.

We shoulder what we can but we also have to sit by and watch them struggle and grow too.  It's part of the job.  It's nice to have siblings to help.  I get strength from my own brothers and sisters and I am grateful my kids have each other.

Recently when Mark was having a hard time, Emma said, "Who do you need me to kill?"

And you should have seen the look in her eye.  She meant business.  She can argue with Mark until the end of time--and she probably will--but that girl has his back.  My takeaway from all of this is don't mess with Emma's brothers.  They are both taller than she is now but I wouldn't want to cross her.  She can be...fierce.

Often parenting is instructive to me to help me understand more about my relationship with my Heavenly Parents.  When my kids need me, when they are in distress, my reaction is to spring into action.  I want to help them.  I can't or wouldn't necessarily want to immediately fix everything but I do want to help.  I want them to know I love them.

I know our Heavenly Father feels the same way.  When we need Him, when we are in distress, I know He wants to help us.  He doesn't take away everything we're struggling with because we need to learn.  We need resistance training in all of its many forms.  But when I think about how much I love my own children in their struggles, it brings me comfort to know that Heavenly Father loves them too.  And me.

We're all going to be OK.

(And I don't think Emma needs to kill anyone.)