A Fresh Start

This past Saturday, 8 children got a fresh start. It was their baptism day. They are now clean like the white clothing they were wearing. In my church, children are baptized when they are 8 years old, an age where they are now accountable for their actions.

I decided to go to the baptism because I know one of the little girls that chose to be baptized. Madison is one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. Everyone loves her who has had the opportunity to be with her. She looks so much like my sister Amy, with long dark, straight hair and a light complexion with a sprinkling of freckles. The only real difference is Madison's eyes are a bright blue color and they don't work. She was born blind and yet you wouldn't be able to tell by talking with her. Her lack of vision doesn't prevent her from enjoying life as an 8 year old girl. Madison can do just about everything everyone else does, but just in a slightly different way. She knows how to read and write in Braille and she loves to play on the swings.

Thanks to my mom, I've had the opportunity to meet her and I am so glad that I did. My mom works at the best little elementary school that my siblings and I went to. About a month or so ago, she was asked to be with Madison so her aid could take her lunch break. I was doing some die cuts for St. Patrick's Day and finished yearly so I went out to the playground. Eventually, Madison came out and her aid went off to lunch.  Madison has been working on being able to navigate around the school to the point that she could do it by herself if she needed to. We ended up playing hide and seek as a fun way to practice. It was so impressive to watch her navigate around the bark box to find me.

For those of you who don't know me very well, I am not an emotional person except when I talk about my loving, sweet family and my religious beliefs. Now, I can add little Madison to that list. At first, I didn't understand why I would get so emotional about her, but I think I know why. You see, everyone has different gifts that are given to them by our Heavenly Father and one of mine is the discerning of spirits. My parents noticed when I was young that I could quickly tell other peoples feelings and would go and cheer up those that needed it. With Madison, there is just this pure love and sweet spirit that radiates from her and it just overpowers me. I can't help but get choked up when I talk to her. She is such a special child and I hope to emulate her amazing example.

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the joy it brings with it. It truly is a beautiful thing and I feel so blessed that I was raised in a family that taught it to me. It is there to helps us grow and become better people. I invite everyone to learn more about Christ here. You don't need to be a member of my church in order to learn more of our Savior's love of each and every one of us.

I am grateful for my own baptism day and I am grateful that I have stayed true to the covenant I made so almost 14 years ago.

My cousin David and I were baptized on the 4th of July.