So I've been thinking a lot lately about family and how important it is. Obviously our little family is growing and that is cause for celebration and contemplation. I am so excited to have this Lil Miss come into our lives! But on top of that there has been a lot of different things going on in our extended families. It has been great to see how much love and support there is. Nate and I are both so lucky to have been born into the families that we got! Family is important. And as I've been thinking so much about family, I keep thinking about my Grandpa Hyde. A few years before he passed away my parents gave him a jar of questions, things that we would all want to know about him. Some of them were playful, entertaining questions, and others were deep, meaningful questions. He answered one a day in a notebook and after he passed away it was a great treasure to us all. The question that perhaps ended up meaning the most was "What is your philosophy on life?" He answered that question better than any of us could have hoped and his answer has become somewhat of a family motto. So I thought I'd share, because I've been thinking about it so much lately and I think we all need this reminder!
Life
Life is pretty simple. There are only two priorities: one is things and the other people. People are always more important than things. Some things are more important than others: i.e. education, food and shelter; but things are never as important as people.
Now for mortals - some people are more important than others. In order, they are spouse, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles, neighbors, ward members, church members.
If you never put things above people and never put less important people ahead of the important people, you won't go wrong.
It's a lot easier to like people you don't live with, but that does not change the formula. Almost all problems happen when you put things or less important people ahead of the most important people.
Money, pride, honor, power, and houses are just things. You kids take care of one another, I know you will take care of your children, God makes that easy. Remember: People then things. Your people are more important than other people's people.
~Ed Hyde
So there it is. To all my people, I love you, I hope you know that and never forget it!
