Runny Noses: Empathy as we progress

Before I had children of my own, when I saw children with runny noses, messy hair, and rumpled clothing, I knew I would never have children who looked like that. How hard can it be to wipe a nose, comb and fix hair, and keep clothes tidy and clean? Then I had my own children and learned that I was wrong, so wrong.

Recently I've experienced another awakening about runny noses, metaphorically. And I've been wrong, so wrong. I knew the steps for fighting colds. Wash your hands often. Eat your vegetables. Get enough sleep. Teach your children to wash their hands, eat their vegetables, and get enough sleep. Yet still--runny noses. Only at this stage it's not just raw skin under the nose and a baby who jerks her head away from you when you try to wipe the snot away again. Now it's heartache and questions and learning, deep learning. And really that's the best part. I don't understand exactly how a virus spreads and I can't protect myself completely from germs, but I can turn to the Savior. I can pray to know how to learn from these experiences. I can experience the gift of the Atonement. I can have faith that even if I don't understand everything, what I believe is enough. And I can be open to being taught by the Savior through prayer, outside resources, and supportive friends and family.

I used to think--just a few weeks ago--that we should share our runny nose stories more. That we shouldn't keep our mistakes and failures hidden. But I didn't understand, because I didn't have kids with runny noses yet. Now I'm learning that I need the support of others even if they don't know why, and I need to support others even if I don't know why. Runny noses are visible to everyone, but much is not. And in the end, the only One who can completely heal us is the Savior.