Change Is Hard

 For days after my youngest child left home I wandered around my quiet, empty house, wondering what I was going to do with myself now. I realized that even though I didn't spend time physically driving my son places because he could drive himself, I spent a lot of emotional and mental energy worrying if he got to school on time (he had to be at school every morning at 6:30 for Chamber Choir rehearsal), if he passed the test he was worried about, or if he got his homework done. Of course I still have concerns for all of my grown children but it's not the same as when they were at home. Change IS hard. Deciding what to do now that the stage of raising children is over is hard,especially for mothers.

 Another hard change for some was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. As an assignment for a marriage class I am taking from Brigham Young University-Idaho I reviewed the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. These are my thoughts:

Justice Anthony Kennedy of the majority opinion gave four reasons why the fundamental right to marry applies to same-sex couples: (1) The right to personal choice regarding marriage is inherent in the concept of individual autonomy (2) The right to marry is fundamental because it supports a two person union unlike any other in its  importance to the committed individuals, (3) Marriage safeguards children and families and draws meaning from related rights of child bearing, procreation and education, and (4) Marriage is a keystone of our social order. I think nearly everyone would agree with these statements. The issue as I understand it, is as Judge John Roberts stated in his opposing opinion: “Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be.” Justice Clarence Thomas said in his opposing opinion that “Liberty has long been understood as individual freedom from governmental action, not as a right to a particular governmental entitlement.” As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I uphold the counsel in The Family: A Proclamation to The World in that “We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.” It is our duty to speak up in kindness and open-mindedness so  families in generations to come can enjoy the freedom and opportunity that our great country offers.