week 1.

This week I am grateful for fresh starts, second chances, blank pages. 

When we talk about what parents need to teach their children most, Jim's always answer is "how to fail".   I have to admit that at first the response baffled me, but a few months ago the theory was put into practice on a dune trip.  Aidan's first crash.  The boy was obviously very shaken, and he immediately let it be known that there would be no more quads in his life.  Jim, firm and kind, insisted that he ride again.  I saw the tears and wanted to nod to Aidan's resolve.  But Jim was right. 

Last year I started the 52 blessings project with a fury - committed, resolved, excited to focus weekly on the goodness in my life.  Well, I made it to mid-April.  So when someone asked if I planned to renew the project this year, I hesitated a long time at "no", then thought about Jim's failure theory.  Because the man is wise.  And his theory is as much for me as for our boys because he knows that I seldom get things right the first time, but I can always get them right eventually. If I keep going.

In Young Women's today it struck me (and hard) that my Father in Heaven knows that, too.  Failure, renewal, line-upon-line Redemption -  all eventualities built into His Plan. 

It's a blessing to move Forward.