One of the most delightful parts of springtime has been going on walks with my little one. I find that I appreciate everything around me so much more as I see how exciting the world is to her. I'm sure as many other mothers know, Dandelion bouquets are an an absolute must for little girls. In fact, we cannot go on a walk without collecting more Dandelions (or as she likes to call them, "din-dins") than my sweet baby can hold.

I am sure that when I was a little girl, I looked at Dandelions and saw beautiful flowers. I don't remember when my shift in thinking occurred, but at some point I began categorizing Dandelions as weeds instead of flowers. Seeing my daughter's love for Dandelions has prompted a little bit of self-reflection.

As I have pondered about Dandelions, I have realized that we can all be likened unto a Dandelion. All of us have parts of us that make us "weeds," so to speak. It is part of being human! We are imperfect and we make mistakes. We have varying trials and temptations, and often people looking from the outside-in cannot look past the weeds and see our flower. In fact, often WE cannot look past our own weeds and see that there are parts of us that are beautiful and good. Too frequently, the weeds within us overshadow the flowers.

There is one, however, who never fails to see our flowers. Just as a child sees a Dandelion as a flower rather than a weed, our loving Father in Heaven is able to look past our weeds and see our beautiful flowers! This is not to say that He overlooks our sins or imperfections, but rather, that they do not taint or blind His view of us. No matter how many mistakes we have made or how many imperfections we have, He still loves us and is able to see the good in us. What a magnificent and loving Father in Heaven we have!

I love the lessons that the Spirit teaches me through my experiences as a mom. They are my miracles, and I cling to them. They always come at a time when I need them most and they bless my life beyond what words can express. Sometimes, I have days where I feel like a lowly weed. But Heavenly Father always has a way of lifting me up and reminding me that someone, somewhere sees my flower; someone sees the good in me.

For a month now, I have had a consistent supply of Dandelions on my kitchen table in a jar. There is a little voice inside my head telling me that when my children are all grown and the magic of Dandelions has faded, I will miss those Dandelion bouquets. No matter how old I grow, however, I will never forget the significant lesson that my daughter and a little flower taught me.

If you are interested, here is a link to a short video about God's love that I found. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2012-06-2120-nothing-can-separate?lang=eng

I know I write about my experiences as a mom a lot, but it's what I do every day! It is the most important part of my life right now, and also the most significant source of lessons that I am learning daily. Being a parent in an of itself is a tender mercy of the Lord. The fact that I have this opportunity to do what He does, on a much smaller scale, is a miracle! I feel like it gives me small glimpses into what our Father in Heaven must feel, and that makes me want to be better.

In the scriptures we learn that when we serve others, we are serving God.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.: ~Mosiah 2:17

I have always understood that it pleases our Father in Heaven when we are kind to one another, and is hurtful to Him when we are unkind to others. I feel, however, that being a parent has given me a whole new understanding of this scripture. This understanding has been a miracle in my life because it has changed how I interact with the people around me.

When someone else does something nice for my daughter, I feel as though they have done something nice for me as well. When someone does something to make her feel happy, it makes me happy too! It uplifts me to see others taking care of her and loving her. We haven't had any experiences yet where someone has been unkind to her, but I am sure that they will come. When they do come, I can only imagine that in these moments I will mourn with her as well. Because of the bond that comes from being a parent, my heart is tied to hers in ways that I simply cannot explain or describe. As a result of this, her emotions are mirrored in my own heart.

I am not claiming to know how God must feel, because He works on a much more grand scale than I do at this time. I do, however, I feel like my experience as a mother has given me a little window of insight into how He must feel. When I am kind to someone else, that warm feeling of the Spirit that follows is a confirmation to me that I have pleased my Father in Heaven. Our actions are not limited to the eyes or hearts of those around us, but they reach heavenward and touch our Heavenly Father.

Just as we love our own children, He loves us! I know that just as it makes me happy when someone is kind to my child, it reaches Him and brings Him happiness when we are kind to one of His children. Every day, everyone that surrounds us is one of His children! Not only that, but everyone who surrounds us is also someone's baby. I would hope that others will always be kind and helpful to my baby, and I pray that I can be the same blessing for others' babies as well.

I am grateful for this merciful insight because it has lifted my spirits and made me want to be a better person. I feel like the greatest service anyone can do for me is serving those that I love most - my family. I know that the greatest service that we can give to my Father in Heaven is serving His family members that are here on earth with us.