The People Who Made Me- Family...

I spend lots of my quiet moments thinking about the people throughout my life that have had strong positive impacts on me. I like to think in terms of a "Top 10" list of people, though I rarely get very far in trying to actually rank people relative to each other. I'm not even sure its an even 10 people on the list- I really spend most of my time thinking about who would or could be on the list and what I have learned from them. I thought I'd take a minute to start putting some of these down "on paper" to help organize my thinking. This isn't a comprehensive list, and it isn't specifically prioritized either. I'm confident I'll have to come at this in several installments to do it justice.

Immediate Family
I dare you to even try to imagine what or how you would be if you hadn't had your parents in your life. From my Dad I learned a lot about character, integrity and service. Joseph Smith said in the Lectures on Faith that a man needs to know that he is living his life in keeping with the will of God to have sufficient faith for salvation. Whenever I think about that principle I think about my Dad. He loves God and does his best (as far as I can tell) to live it- every day. From my Mom I learned a love of words, ideas and analytical thinking. I am especially grateful that she was willing to put aside what could have been a very rewarding and stimulating life in the world of work and ideas to be my Mom. Between these two cornerstones, what a foundation for a good life!

Laurie has been part of my life for almost 2/3 of the time I have been drawing breath on this earth. She made it possible for me to get where I am, in no small part because she gives me a safe shelter from the storm. She is a planner and organizer. Having her in my life, I don't feel like I have to manage or prevent so many catastrophes. In the spiritual aspects of life she has been something of a flywheel to me. I can't recall a time in 20 years of marriage where she slacked up on attending church or sacrificing for the kids (and me).

There have been other family members who have had impacts for good, though relative to my parents and Laurie they are more indirect in their impacts. These include my maternal Grandmother who lives to serve others and my paternal Grandfather who worked as a policeman and had earned himself such a sterling reputation that it left a strong impression on me at an early age. Most of my personal memories of him include failing health, but I have always respected him for his years of public service and moral strength.

Next post: The People Who Made Me- Friends...