...is to labor in the service of others.
Samuel and I found that this key element was missing in our home! We found that too often our children were at odds with one another, and that there prevailed all manner of squabbling, quarreling, and-absolutely worst of all-hoarding!
We knew this could not go on, and so we are trying to follow the example of a family spoken of in President Monson's talk,
He shares the following:
A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?” The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone. Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.
As we too have begun to ask this question around our table, we have seen a dramatic change. Are there still squabbles? Yes! But with gentle reminders, there IS a greater desire for every member of our family to think less about ourselves, and think a whole lot more about others!
It truly is the key to happiness.
It truly is the key to happiness.
