2 Timothy 1:3
"By birth or adoptive lineage, we are ultimately all connected in the family of God and in the human family."
We Each Have a Story
By Elder Gerrit W. Gong
We think of our family heritage a lot. Today, I had a strange thought, "What about my character heritage? "
Who and what has shaped my character? The instance that brought it to mind was remembering a time before I can actually remember. I was an infant. My mom was in the grocery store and had to pit some things back because she didn't have enough money. A couple behind her, she describes them as a young hippie couple, told the cashier to leave everything on the bill and then paid for it all. My mom asked for their information so she could pay it back. They told her to pay it forward. They said that sometime she'd have enough and would be able to do the same for someone else. They then explained that they had received similar help and the same direction to pay it forward instead of back.
These people that I never knew are part of my character heritage. Paying things forward has always been part of who I am. Little, anonymous acts of kindness are part of my core. Yes, it's part of my family's beliefs, but these anonymous strangers are a part of who I am too.
Consider the people that are your character heritage. Consider what traits you're passing downto the people around you. I love what elder Gong said about everyone being part of one family. I'm sure I'm the weird aunt but I also hope I'm the kind one.
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