Keep the commandments

7 And he said: Yea, I will keep thy commandments with all my heart.  Alma 45:7

This was the first scripture my daughter memorized when she was just 4.  I remember helping her read the words, and we would say them together until she finally had learned them.  She was so eager to learn a scripture like the other children in her primary class.  She is now a 19 year old adult, but still has fond memories of learning this scripture.

"Although most of the Ten Commandments list things we should not do, they also represent things we should do. The Savior summarized the Ten Commandments in two principles—love for the Lord and love for our fellow men:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

“This is the first and great commandment.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39)."- source:lds.org

This scripture and the commandment to love have been at the forefront of my mind the past few weeks.  My grandmother is dying.  She is living her last few days or weeks in a nursing home.  To be honest, the past few weeks I have thought about her more than I ever have in my entire life.  We didn't have a close relationship, I don't have any memories of her having me over to make cookies, reading me a book, or even sending me a birthday card.  She wasn't the grandmother who made sure you had a Christmas gift or called to say hello.  I can't ever say I remember her saying "I love you".  All these things are fine, it was her choice to be a grandparent from a distance.  I have no bad feelings toward her, but I don't have much affection for her either.  My mother does have bad feelings for her.  My grandmother never liked my mother or was kind to her.  She would repeatedly tell my father that he should get a divorce, and it caused bad feelings.

I think my grandmother has been surprised by who is caring for her now.  My mother goes to visit her everyday.  She fixes my grandmother's hair, helps her in the bathroom, pushes her in the wheelchair around the nursing home, brings her treats and puts lotion on her cracking skin.  My mother, the terrible wife and daughter-in-law, is the only one there tending to her needs from her family.  My mother isn't doing it for any other reason than the commandment to "Love one another".  It has been very healing for their relationship as my mother has cared for her.  My grandmother now calls my mom "her angel" and looks forward to their daily visits.

This experience has reminded me how the Lord is always the greatest teacher.  When we choose to follow His counsel we will always be blessed.  His commandment to love one another comforts one of his daughters and at the same time, it also mends another daughter's hurt.