Sixty – three years.
Anything that has lasted 63 years needs to be celebrated, right?!
My parents were married on a hot summer morning on July 1st,
63 years ago. My sweet 82 year-old
widowed mother wanted to celebrate that special day with a reunion of with her posterity.
No ordinary celebration would do, so in the fall of 2015 she
began regularly and consistently calling each of her children and their
spouses, then each of her 49 grandchildren and their spouses and some of her
great grandchildren. It was not an easy
thing to organize. She wanted everyone’s
input and involvement.
This may not be what you think of first when you think of
family councils, but according to Elder M. Russell Ballard in his most recent
talk, “Family Councils” in the April 2016 General Conference, this one-on-one
talk is his "4th Way" and an informal way to council with family members.
That amazing matriarch planned a great party. We had amazing meals,
river float trips,
Water slides, zip-lines, and paddle boats
Craft time for younger kids as well as
for all the married mom’s and a pool party.
She had one
of her grandson’s set up and run a shooting range for both shotgun skeet
shooting and pistol target practice.
The favorite for all the little
kiddos was a fish derby that included two baby sturgeon’s for petting that
would all be released into the farm’s pond when the derby was complete.
Kalli and her cousin John were asked to make a music video of Grandma's favorite song they sing together. This has become my mom's "theme song".
Then finished off with some very talented grandsons putting on an excellent firework presentation.
My Mom's unique form of Family Council worked! The calendar was set.
The assignments were accepted.
The plans were made. All because
she had the desire, orchestrated many councils to form a vision board for her day, and everyone played
their part to make a memory.
The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, “Successful
marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith,
love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities.”
As the old saying goes...
We may not have it all together, but
together we have it all.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/family-councils?lang=eng
