I'm Thankful That Families are Eternal

When I was pregnant with John, my friend Tabitha was pregnant at the same time. Tabitha's baby, Joseph, lived long enough to be born (one day after John) but suffered from something called Trisomy 13 and only lived about 12 days. A couple days ago I learned that a young family in our ward just found out that the baby they are carrying has this same terminal chromosomal disorder. They are due in January. At the same time, the secretary in our ward primary has gone to see to her mother who is suffering from heart problems. The doctor told her family they had a couple choices: he could do nothing, and her mom would probably die. Or he could perform surgery, but the operation itself could kill her. I hope I never have to make that kind of a choice. I can't express how sad these things make me, or how grateful I am for my knowledge that families can be eternal. I am grateful that my parents were married in the temple, that I was born under the covenant, sealed to them, and that I, in turn, was able to be married in the temple, so my children are sealed to me. I am very thankful for my parents, my siblings, my husband and my children. I can't imagine eternity without them.