honor...

As a parent...I will be the first to admit that I am far from perfect. I have made a million mistakes while helping raise our five children. I have been overly critical at times...raised my voice way too many times...& been so very impatient...just to mention a few of my flaws & imperfections. I was learning as I went along...because you see... I had never been a parent before. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, throughout His life often referred to the relationship that He had with our Father in Heaven & would remind those that He was with to "Honor thy father & thy mother;that thy days may be long upon the land..." This is one of the greatest commandments. I'm sure my children have asked at some point in their life, "how can I honor my parents when they do things that are not right?" The answer again comes from our Savior, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matt. 18:22) Everyone has the same responsibility to forgive a parent's mistake...just like we would expect to be forgiven by them & by others. The Savior taught us to honor & respect our earthly parents, knowing that what we become depends largely upon what we receive from them. Perhaps as a parent I did not give enough...or did not teach enough to earn that respect. Perhaps I did not show enough respect for my children. Honor...it's a simple word...it means to give special respect & to pay tribute. It means to respond to teachings that have been so painstakingly & lovingly taught. I am so far from perfect & the older I get...the clearer the picture is. Honor is something that I clearly fell short of in my efforts as a parent...I'm still learning...