darling Stefan at 25

This is an unusual post, but I feel like someone out there needs to read it. ❤️

The Stefan you see now is studying at Harvard Law school, married to a beautiful and brilliant girl and has a life full of golden prospects. But at 14 he was the saddest kid in the world. School felt like a cage and he was desperately lonely. (TRUTH: all my kids are pretty lonely at 14.) One day he was sitting on one of our red chairs and he had the thought that if faith could move mountains maybe it could change his life too. (NOTE: I hope you have faith in God but if not that I hope you have faith in a higher power or at least faith in yourself.)

He decided to use those lonely times to read scriptures, to read great books, to love and nurture his siblings, to learn French fluently, to work out every day, to become masterful on the violin, to develop love and compassion for every human being. He organized his time and he disciplined himself to become the very best version of himself.

Change for Stefan came both quickly and slowly. He became a lot happier overnight but it took a long time to find his people. And even though he got a perfect ACT score and Monson scholarship to BYU I could tell you about so many problems and troubles along the way.

And I guess the point is if you are feeling lonely or sad or purposeless, look inside yourself. Have some faith in yourself. Become the best version of you and I promise, I PROMISE with all my heart that life will get better for you. It will. And if you are desperately lonely you better message me or call me because I will be there for you. ❤️

Happy birthday to my beautiful boy (on March 12)! Thank you for everything you are, everything you are becoming. And I know you won’t mind that I have used your birthday to reach out to others because that’s what you do best. ❤️?