There is not One without the Other!

These two have their ups and downs as brother and sister......but love always remains. I tell them that someday you will miss one another! To be grateful to have a brother and a sister that loves and supports you- even when they are not seeing eye to eye. I told them that my brothers and sister are still my best friends, that we love and support one another. We have not always gotten along, but there is always love, respect and we are always there for one another. If anyone messed with my siblings, I was the first to stand up for them. Family relationships can be wonderful, loving and also challenging and frustrating.....'tis LIFE! We are all learning, growing, learning to love, let go.....and be present in the moments that matter the most. We are all doing our best! Being busy with raising families-life gets busy, complicated, short....time rushes by....and before you know it, it's been too long! We are where we are meant to be though! I want my siblings to know I love them, think about them daily, pray for them and miss them. I know we are all in the middle of raising families, being parents, and doing our best! I will always be grateful for my siblings and for the bond we share.....not matter what. We have always had each other's backs, and best interests at heart. TIME I feel is my greatest friend in life.....but it can also be a hard friend to be grateful for! Time is the great healer, it is also the thing that is present in my life every day, where it brings to mind my kids are growing....and fast. It's a reminder, I am getting older, and hopefully wiser.....an indicator of how I am doing with certain things in my life. Some I am proud of, others not so much. Brings about wonderful memories, blessings, and also not so great times, and challenges that I never thought I would have to go through in life. It's a double edged sword I tell you! Time marches on though, as sure as the sun shines, and I think I will always have mixed feelings about it. Acceptance.....is where I am at right now in a lot of areas of my life. And I am learning to accept things for what they are - good or bad, whether I understand fully or not. Faith.....is a daily walk right now. Trust....an even bigger thing I am wrestling with. For now.....I accept where I am at, and I know my Father in Heaven accepts where I am, he knows I am trying my best....and right now that is what I hold on to. Sometimes you have to dig deep.....and refuse to let life get the best of you. Learning to be patient with myself and learning that it's important to meet my needs and take care of myself-is just as important as taking care of my own families needs. It's easy to live the gospel in the good times.....living it in the challenging times, when you can't see up from down.....that's where you learn and grow and build a strong relationship with yourself and your Maker. There will be those that will support you and love you......and those that won't. And sometimes it can be hurtful when you find out some you thought were true friends......really aren't. I am learning what I want and don't want in my life.....and as always.....life has a way of sifting out who your true friends are. I am grateful for those that have loved me, supported me, and have shown me what true friendship is...it's been a hard, but necessary lesson in my life. You tend to not care as much what people are thinking anymore, and focas on what is best for yourself and your family and live your life according to what is best for you and your family. I have faith in my Heavenly Father, that he knows what I need....to learn and to grow.....and he is there for me during the good and challenging times. And that he is there for me in a way that will allow growth...and sometimes it's up to me to grab the reigns and make decisions for my own life. He has faith in me and trusts me to make those decisions for myself, and I in turn need to trust in him and have faith he knows best for me and my family. He allows us to choose - and is there for us through the ups and downs. I have always thought of Trusting in him.....but I am realizing that He trusts me as well....he has great love for me and knows I can accomplish the things I want in my life. That brings me a lot of confidence in myself knowing that. That is eye opening to me. I think having a teenager is helping me see things in a little different light. A relationship is based on trust. Each individual has to trust one another in order for there to be a healthy, emotional bond, and for growth to happen within the relationship. I am exactely where I am meant to be right now.... I am loving, and living in every moment of my life -in the good and in the challenging moments. To know no sorrow or sadness....is to know no joy or happiness. I know the challenges in my life help me to feel the blessings in my life. There is not one without the other. Making decisions for myself and my family is between myself, my Heavenly Father and my own family. Some people will agree, other's won't......I am the one living my life, and I am the only one that can make decisions for myself along with the help of my Heavenly Father...I won't make everyone happy, but I know I am doing my best to be happy myself, and raise my family up in love and happiness.