empathy

WARNING: This post will likely be ponderous--maybe even rambling. You have been warned.

Today on NPR, a scientist reported that studies of animals show many more instances of empathy than of greed. In fact, this scientist was proposing that today's animals have survived evolution because of their empathy, not their greed. Take, for instance, a mother monkey. When her child screams out for attention, she responds--mostly because her child might die if she doesn't.

As an expecting mother, I have thought long and hard about the kind of mother I want to be and the kind of environment I want to create for Henry (the baby's name--I sure hope he looks like a Henry when he comes out). As a human, I have a bit more wiggle room when it comes to responding to my baby's cry. Essentially, I have fewer predators to deal with.

But then again, do I? My main goal as a mother is to teach Henry TRUTH. And I know a lot of un-truth exists in the world. So maybe I won't have to deal with predators who will kill my child physically, but I will be dealing with a lot of predators who could kill my child spiritually (and emotionally). And I wonder what the warning signs will be? Certainly, I can be empathetic to a cry, but what are the signs of Henry latching on to un-truths? And will I see them in time? And how will I respond?

It turns out I don't have all the answers (sorry to disappoint), but I am comforted by the fact that I am armed with the SOURCE of truth. I plan to use that source as my first line of defense (or attack, as necessary) to envelop Henry in truth. Truth that will set him free.

Friday vacation

Trish and I had been talking all summer about a one-day vacation for just the two of us. We're lucky to live nearby lots of family, so usually when we come up with a fun idea, our next thought is to start calling some parents and siblings to drag along. However, we realized that our days of being able to run off by ourselves are numbered, since our baby boy will be born in January. So we designated this Friday as our vacation day.

We drove out of Springville Thursday afternoon and headed south to Manti, where we spent the night in the Temple View Lodge, right across the street from the temple.



The next morning, we had a neat, spiritually rejuvenating going through the Manti Temple.



For lunch, we enjoyed very tasty donuts and a delicious burger at Miller's Drive Thru. 15 years ago, I had played a tennis match in Manti, and our coach had brought us to this donut place afterwards. I had great memories of it, and I wasn't disappointed when I returned today. Best apple fritter and mushroom burger (on a freshly baked bun) that I've had in a while.



Afterwards, we drove north, meandering through the charming small towns, settled by Mormon pioneers, that dot Sanpete Valley. In Mount Pleasant we stopped for a chocolate shake and strolled along the historic main street. Then, in Fairview, we took a detour. Rather than heading straight home, we took a scenic route. The fall colors are just beginning to turn, so the aspen forests were a very pretty mix of green, red, and yellow. It snowed last night, so the white snow add to the pretty scene.





Our drive took us past Scofield reservoir. I had spent a week here at scout camp as a 12-year-old. One day, our troop paddled the large war canoe out to this island (pictured below) in the middle of the reservoir. A big windstorm came up and we got stranded on the island and had to find shelter. We were excited that we might need to spend the night, but within 30 minutes we were being shuttled back to camp by the camp staff on a powerboat.



What a great day! Thanks Tricia!