I Have A Family Here On Earth

I love watching home improvement shows. I love to watch Ty build a house from scratch; everything completely perfect at the end, running smoothly all the way, in just seven days.
There is another type of home improvement show. In these shows, things don't go exactly as planned. The people work too hard, too fast, too desperately in order to have everything perfect right NOW.
Isn't that the way we sometimes work on building our family? We think that lots of people have perfect families, perfect children, perfect relationships with their spouses, parents and in-laws. Lots of people are having wonderful family home evenings where the children's minds and hearts are opened to the Spirit and their little testimonies grow rapidly and unwaveringly. Lots of people have harmonious, peaceful, uncluttered homes. They don't have to run through the house grabbing things and throwing them in the back bedroom when the doorbell rings. They can quote scripture from memory, including chapter and verse, instead of saying, "It says somewhere something about....". They never raise their voices to their children, never threaten to throw away all their toys or knock them into next week. They never raise their voice to their spouses, never sulk or pout or whine.
We think that if we were good enough, everything in our lives would run smoothly and be perfect all the time. Life doesn't work that way. We are where we are in our progress and everyone else is where they are. Building our family relationships with spouse, children, brothers, sisters, cousins and parents is a work in progress. We build as best we can where we are. There is no magic wand and there is no finish line. And there is no time when we can say, "I'm finished, all done!" Our relationships with our families, forward and back, continue to flow.
I am blessed with a great family. Parents who loved me and raised me with good values and work ethic, who kept me safe when the world could not. A brother and sister I grew up with, played with and squabbled with and love who have grown even dearer over lo, these many years. They are married to wonderful people whom I also love dearly.
I have two children who grew into charming, funny, intelligent adults, in spite of me. I have two grandsons who are growing up way too fast for me, who are sweet and smart and caring.
And I have Ronald darling. How much more could I ask for? 'Nough said?