Melting My Heart

Sometime last night, Leah made her way into our room with her sleeping bag and spent the rest of the night, sleeping on our floor. When I woke up in the morning (Anna having already gotten out of bed), my little girl climbed into our bed and snuggled in, just holding me as tightly as she could. Talk about the best feeling in the world….

Anyway, given opportunities like this, I always make a specific point to tell my children how much I love them and how wonderful they are. This time, on a whim, I also posed a question: “Leah, why are you such a good girl?’

Her response: “Because you taught me to be.”

Wow. Just… wow.

Disturbing Dreams

The aliens were attacking, flooding the entire Earth some 30-40 feet deep. Thankfully, the government was able to issue SCUBA-type gear to many of us that survived the initial assault, and our family was among the lucky ones. As Anna, Leah, David, and I swam around in our wetsuits equipped with a tank that extracted oxygen from the water, we thought all would be well—until we learned about the virus.


The aliens were obviously smart: not only smart enough to flood the Earth, but also smart enough to know that many of us would survive. That’s why they concurrently initiated a viral attack, to take out any of us that were able to make do with the flooding.


As the crowd pushed toward the first of the spaceships carrying citizens away from our doomed planet, Anna was separated from me and the kids. Somehow, I knew that was final: we’d never see her again, in this life. Thus, it was my responsibility to get four-year-old Leah and three-year-old David through the waters to our only hope of survival. And then the breathalyzers arrived.


Knowing that there was no cure for the virus, only those who were uninfected were allowed aboard the ship. Since the early stages of the virus had no apparent effects, the special breathalyzers were necessary to determine who was infected (and thus doomed to death), and who was not. I tentatively took the proffered machine and applied it to Leah.


She tested positive.


What’s worse, David and I were tested next, and both came back negative. We would be admitted to the ship and survival; Leah, heart-wrenchingly, would not.


Now, logic dictates that the smart thing would be to say my last farewells to Leah, assuring her that our temple sealing means we’d be together again in the Spirit World, and accompany David onto the ship. Leah was going to die anyway, and David needed someone to care for him. But how could I possibly leave my little girl, my precious, four-year-old daughter, all alone to suffer a long and possibly painful death? David would board the ship; that much was assured. But how could I possibly choose between caring for my son, at the expense of my daughter—especially in her hour of greatest need, when she would indubitably be terrified and alone and crying for me? The decision was impossible to make.


I only thank God that I woke up at that point, and even more so, that my two living children were both healthy and sleeping peacefully. I pray that I will never have to make such an horrific decision; I love them too much for that.

Love Unfeigned

I know we don’t do good deeds so that we can go around flaunting it, but I’m just so proud of my kids that I think this one just has to be mentioned.

As I’m sure you all know, there was a major earthquake in Haiti, about two weeks ago. (If you’ve missed this, you must have been hiding under a rock somewhere.) Thousands, perhaps millions of people have been giving their time and money to help the survivors in this already impoverished nation to recover from the immeasurable devastation.

As with most disasters, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was among the first on the ground, sending out not only medical teams but hundreds of tons of food and other supplies. But in the midst of such total destruction, there’s always more needs than can reasonably met, so the call has gone out for more.

Anna and I had been planning to make a donation anyway, but my darling wife saw this as an opportunity to help our children. When she told them what was happening (in terms a four- and almost-three–year old can understand), they immediately caught the vision and volunteered to share some money from their own piggy banks, to help others so desperately in need. This morning, before Church, I helped them each remove a dollar from their piggy bank, which they excitedly placed in separate envelopes (each with the appropriate offerings form) and gave to the bishop.

And again Alma commanded that the people of the church should impart of their substance, every one according to that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly; and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that had not should be given.

And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will and good desires towards God, … yea, and to every needy, naked soul (Mosiah 18:27-28).

Thank you, Leah and David. I love you, and I’m so proud of you!