Inspiring People II - Amber and Lucas

Amber and Lucas are another amazing married couple that I know through one of my friends.  I met Amber a few years ago in another state and I met her husband later and have hung out with them on a few occasions.  They are a delightful happy couple who always find joy, even in mundanity and in pain.   They are, both on the surface and inside, utterly happy with their lives.  This blog post has made me guffaw out loud every time I read it, including when I'm distracted in math class (Sorry, Sister B____).

Read this if you have a few extra minutes, then come back.  It's the bittersweet story of their daughter Molly.  I'll let the events speak for themselves, but just say that their confidence and faith is inspiring in the sweetest and most poignant way.

(By the way, I promise I don't mean to be inspired by parents in difficult situations.  It's people who maintain faith in the crucible of pain that I'm inspired by)

I'm just going to reflect a little on my feelings as I read Molly's story the first time.  I was living with my brother and his wife at the time.  His wife met Amber once upon a time and had maintained casual contact, and she mentioned that one of her acquaintances had been going through a rough time.  I started reading and crying a little bit and suddenly realized, "I know this girl too!"  Suddenly, this picture of a family on the page had more meaning and the story came more intensely.  Even now, I can feel the emotions welling up a little bit inside me.

I devoured the story, tears running down my face, as my brother, sister-in-law, and I read page after page of inspiring, sobering, humbling, and gratitude-inducing events in Amber and Lucas' life.  Gratitude for the knowledge that we have about forever families, gratitude that Amber and Lucas had that same knowledge to bear them up as well, gratitude that the members of my family have their health and have been blessed to know each other in mortality, and gratitude that no matter what our mortal family's status, our eternal family can have increase and progression forever.

One of my favorite things about Amber and Lucas is that they insist (and rightfully so) that Molly is still a part of their family and that they are still parents even in her absence.  They know that mortality is not a limiting factor to an eternal family.

I still I have about a million questions, but watching a family go through hell, but with that heavenly perspective, inspires me to follow suit.  I wonder often about the course of my life, but I hope it includes such a view of the world as Amber and Lucas have.