Not all families feel this way about each other. There are many hard things that have been endured together. Some of those things caused division. Some of those hard things strengthened relationships. How can we choose unity and not division?

It is possible, but very difficult with mental health, agency, and hurt. Did you know that Satan hates the family unit? He wants to break it apart. He wants us to be miserable like he is. Why is that so important to him? Because he cause such division in our eternal family and chose to leave the presence of God for his rebellion. He took many of our spirit brothers and sisters with him.

I believe that some of those spirit brothers and sisters regret following him. They lost a lot when they chose that. I’m pretty sure that some of them wish that they had chosen differently.

Every person that came to earth, chose the plan of salvation. Another name for it is the Plan of Happiness. Sometimes it doesn’t feel very happy. Some days are filled with despair, sadness, loneliness, and anguish. Because of everyone’s ability to choose, we are all affected by the consequences of those choices.

Some people really think their decisions through. Others are very impulsive and just act. Some people are able to see how their decision might affect others and some people don’t have that foresight.

God knew this. He knew that we would need a Savior to Atone for our sins and mistakes. Jesus Christ did that. Because of Him, we can be healed. We can feel whole again. We can begin anew.

Everyone has family. You get to decide what that means to you. Some families might need some space between them. Some families are very close and need to have each other in their lives. Some families are small, some are big.

We have a family. You and I, we are part of a family together. We have Heavenly Parents. They love us so much. We are all brothers and sisters. We can’t remember any of this. It was part of the plan. One day, we will be reunited with Them. It will be wonderful.

Until then, we have each other. Every person on this earth. The small woman in the grocery store that cannot reach the top shelf. The man with the sign begging for help on the street. The wealthy man that seems as though he is too good for you. He really isn’t, he is uncomfortable in large crowds. The woman that scrolls her social media feed relentlessly is the same. Her phone is her safe place. This is a scary world after all.

Smile at those around you. You might be surprised what you see. The connections that are made. People are connecting all around me. Are you seeing it too? It makes me so happy when I see love and unity instead of division.

I rode on four airplanes for my short trip out West for this family reunion. I never saw anyone act in a way that caused division. It was amazing. People were kind and patient. They helped each other with luggage, and all waited patiently as we all hurried up to wait for our planes to arrive.

I’m so thankful for this knowledge that I have of our Heavenly Parents. Most of all, I am thankful for the knowledge that I have that you and I are siblings. I have found you through this blog. I hope that you feel my love for you.