Redeemable

A Mother's love is powerful, but it doesn't cross the line of free agency. That is a harsh reality that I have a hard time accepting. I would gladly save my children the heartache of wrong choices if I could. Which is probably why their free agency is protected from that motherly instinct. I teach them correct principles and then I worry and agonize over them day and night as they figure out for themselves whether they will follow those correct principles. I know I shouted for joy along with everyone else as the Plan of Happiness was announced. That's because I understood it in theory and had not experienced it in practice. When you are raising teen-agers, there are times when Satan's plan seems like a good iea. It is also easy to fall into it as a parent (or "Benevalent Dictator" as I like to call myself). I don't turn their free agency over to them completely, but I realize I have to let them try it out and learn from their experiences. I am learning as well--some just won't believe you when you tell them the stove is hot, they have to touch it themselves. It surprises me that I still feel for them and grab the ice to soothe the burn. That's the power of a Mother's love.