Jeremy and Mono

One of the most embarrassing moments in my time as a parent, was when Jeremy had undiagnosed mononucleosis.  It wasn't until after he had the illness, and was well on the road to recovery that it was diagnosed, based on his enlarged pancreas and white blood cells in his blood stream.  I had just thought he had turned out to be very lazy.  This was his Junior and Senior years of high school, which really affected his high school.  Here are some excerpts from a letter I wrote to him at the time, although well meaning, didn't help with the real problem.

"Your response to getting up this morning... have prompted me to write you this morning... I remember when I was young, when we sang "I am a Child of God" we would sing, "teach me all that I must know, to live with him someday."  [Now] we sing, "teach me all that I must do, to live with him someday."  It was President Kimball, while an apostle, who suggested this change.  ...It is no enough to know, but living the Gospel requires action--it requires doing, and in this manner we will return to God."

In the letter I then quoted President Kimball, from the priesthood manual we were studying that year, "You are sent to earth not merely to have a good time or to satisfy urges or passions or desires ...and have what the world calls 'fun'.  You are sent to this world with a very serious purpose...  Men came to earth consciously to obtain their schooling, their training and development, and to perfect themselves, but many have allowed themselves to be diverted and have become ...addicts to mental and spiritual indolence and to the pursuit of worldly pleasure. ...Pre-eminent, is our using this life to perfect ourselves, to subjugate the flesh, subject the body to the spirit, to overcome weaknesses..."

Those are important word.  However, at that time, with Jeremy's body overcoming illness, I was overly worried about his getting up and to school.  Perhaps I should have been worried about other things.  I pointed out to Jeremy how he had accomplished things in the past with perseverance.  I concluded the letter in this way, "Jeremy, I know that you can be successful.  You have tremendous amounts of talent.  You have demonstrated the energy and the drive to overcome diversity.  I wish you every success in life.  I love you very much."

Those last words are even more true now.  I love Jeremy very much.  Her has overcome even more diversity.  I wish him every success.