Title: “Together Forever, But Single on Earth”
Exhibitor: Gayle Kartchner
Description: “Pull up those Boots and Keep Walking.” When faced
With challenges of being a widow and raising children on your own, perhaps the best advice is to put on those boots and keep trudging forward. You become the “ma” and the “pa” and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. But, don’t despair. Life can be full of fun surprises as you learn and grow and fill those walking boots
How To’s:
Goals of Unity and Purpose
Respect for Each Other
1.
A testimony
of God’s will and His
infinite wisdom is necessary as you try to embrace your new roles.
2.
Keep your
loved one alive by celebrating
their birthday, your anniversary as a family, and talking often about
them. Read their journal, watch home
movies, and look at family scrapbooks together.
3.
Open
communication is important
in the family since every decision affects them.
4.
Maintaining
a tight budget is essential
as you strive to keep things together.
Children can learn how to work and learn many things as they help plan
for future expenses.
5.
Family Home Evenings
are an important part our gospel and keeping the family unit together. YOU can plan uplifting evenings, fun outings, and opportunities
to simply sit down and talk as a family.
1.
Family trips
and fun outings without friends
are important musts because these are times you can really focus on the
children. You talk together, you laugh
together, you plan together, you have fun together, and you make wonderful
memories and deep family roots.
2.
Holidays become more than just another day. As you make them special, you count your
blessings for the time together.
3.
Family
importance emphasized to the
children makes them feel as whole and complete as possible. Even though you assume the role of mother
and father, you can make your family a unit and make it feel safe and secure.
4.
Become
involved in music, sports, the arts, or whatever your children are interested in. Support these events as a family during the
times of success, and especially during the times of defeat.
1.
Work
together as a family. You are all in this together, whether you
like it or not. With the death of that
loved one, new responsibilities fall on each family member. It is good for the children to learn to
serve the family. They belong to a
family and are important to the family’s success. Everyone now needs to help out and do their share of the work.
2.
Keep things
as normal as possible. You are still a family and still important
to Heavenly Father. Try to show the
children that life goes on and it can be a beautiful place.
3.
Encourage
sibling support. They need each other, and they need you to
teach them how to show that love and respect. This all helps them to feel
grounded, secure, needed, and a part of a family unit.
1.
You have no
choice but to keep going. You may want to run and hide, but that is
not a good option. The best option is
to have faith, pray a lot, and keep trying hard every day.
2.
Keep your
end goal in mind. You have a strong desire to be reunited with
that loved one. You want to go back
home after doing your best to serve valiantly, honorably, and enduring to the
end well.
3.
“All these things shall give thee
experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7)