Finding a Balance

After spending 2 weeks with family I have come to appreciate them even more.  My parents set such a good example of making family a priority.  Maybe it was growing up 15 miles from my dad’s parents.  They firmly believed that family came first and showed it in their words and actions.  My father was not an entrepreneur, but he worked hard to provide for our needs.  They supported us in our various activities while also teaching us responsibility and love for each other and the gospel.

The only thing missing from my visit to Utah was my parents.  They are currently serving a mission.  They are sacrificing these family moments to serve the Lord – another valuable lesson they taught.  But they were missed.  Right now we are only separated by miles, and I look forward to the time when we can all be together again.

In visiting with my brother, who recently started a new job, I learned a few things about priorities.  No matter how much you are being paid, no matter what perks the company offers, there is no happiness without balance.  He left a job that was too demanding of his every minute of every day, 7 days a week.  There are certain boundaries that need to be set.  What these boundaries are will be different for everybody.  The cost was too great for my brother, so he made the necessary changes.  He and his family are much happier and he is looking at this as an opportunity to expand his knowledge and increase his networking base and his experiences.

Part of our trip included a reunion of my mother-in-law’s siblings.  There were many moments of reflection and seeing the 150 + (counting just those that were present) that came just from grandma and grandpa was amazing.  They knew that family came first.  Throughout their jobs, they found how to include their kids and create many fond memories together. 

In the end, it won’t matter how much money I made if my kids don’t know who I am or if we don’t have memories and relationships to bind us.  So while I want to use my talents and skills to make a difference in the lives of others, I do not want to do it at the cost of losing my own family.  There must be a balance.  It is important to teach our children the value of hard work and setting goals, but families are important and those are the things we will be able to take with us when we leave this earth.  

The Family

This week’s readings have been focused on the family and finding a balance.  That is my number one concern facing this chance to enter the business world.  My world has always revolved around my family.  Every moment of every day is consumed with meeting their needs.  Can I change that? Taking two classes a semester, year round, and working part-time have been challenging. And then there is my church calling, and the matter of supporting my husband in his.  I still feel that I need to do everything I have always done, while adding these additional items to my schedule.  Jan Newman, who served as mission president here in our area, said it best:  “Don’t ever be too busy to accept a calling.  When you need the Lord’s help, He will know where your heart is.”  My purpose is to serve the Lord and build the kingdom of God.  Can I stay focused on that and still enter the work force?

Steve Blank said there needed to be some family rules set beforehand.   We are trying to have family scripture study every day, and that is something I am not willing to compromise on.  Having dinner together as much as possible is important too.  But as the kids get involved in various events at the high school, their time outside of class is mostly taken.  I like to spend time with the family on the weekends, but those are often filled with competitions locally and a few hours away.  So where is the balance?  We try to support each other as much as possible.  But the kids realize we can’t be to every meet and every competition or game.  I also try to do my homework and extra things while they are at school so it doesn’t take away from my family time.  As the kids get older and begin to move out and on with their lives, I want to be ready and able to find my niche.  I want to have an idea of what my strengths are so I can focus on that. 

I think this is what I am learning the most in this whole process of school.  Who I really am, what I have to offer, and being ready and willing to do what the Lord asks me to do.  For now, I was guided to participate in this educational opportunity.  I will “Carry On”, moving forward, as long as the Lord needs me to do this.