This Little Light of Mine: On the Homefront

I considered making this post several installments long...but I decided to give the topic its own page instead.

"Homefronts" or MormonAds are short public service announcements produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Growing up I remember watching these on television occasionally. I can really relate to these ones because of the similar experiences I've had in my own life (you can watch several more here).

Below you will find my MormonAd "Top 10 Countdown" each with an explanation of why I feel a connection with each video. I hope you enjoy them!

10. You Said

Okay, so I just like this one because the little kid is so darn cute! But I'm sure there were times in the last 24 years that my parents felt like this. Yet they were always keeping their promises and providing wonderful experiences for me and my sisters. Even when it was early in the morning and they would much rather be sleeping :)

9. Answering Machine

While we've never owned an answering machine in our house...we've wrestled dad to the ground plenty of times! Ganging up on your dad and pinning him to the ground (possible only with the combined efforts of 3 little girls and the lack of resistance on his part) is one of the sweet joys in life when you're 6 years old.

8. Home Repair

My dad is always building something for one of us. When we were little we had this incredible swing set. Not one of the dinky store-bought ones that threatens to tip over if you swing too high--a solidly built, welded contraption that was cememented into the ground so well it could last 'til the Second Coming of Christ. This swing set was amazing! And it was built by good ole' dad. He even let us help paint it (which would explain why the bottom half is very poorly painted while the top half had a very professional looking paint job. But he didn't complain! He just let us help and so we were able to use our swingset with pride, knowing that we helped "make" it.)

7. Bad Hair Day

Definitely did this to dad on more than one occasion. I didn't realize til later in life that adults that let little kids play with their hair are really patient and good natured. So now I try to pay it forward when little girls ask if they can "do" my hair for me. :)

6. At the Movies

My mom and dad are always really good about making "date nights" a family affair. I don't remember us kids being left at home too often because if there was something fun to do, we did it as a family. And yes, we went through the same routine--"I want to sit by mom!" "I don't want to be on the end" "I can't see the movie!"

5. Miss the Bus

As far as I know, my parents never hid my backpack from me but there were several years when dad and I would carpool to school and work and the time that we got to spend talking and just enjoying each other's company was priceless!

And on school mornings when I was running late, of course my mom was just like the one in the video--she knew exactly where everything was that I needed. How do moms do that?

4. Cell Phone

I don't think I'm quite as bad as the girl in the video (it's rude to talk on your cell phone when you're with other people)...but in college I was always on the phone with mom. She was the first one I would call about almost anything! I could spend hours on the phone telling her about my day--just to rehash it again when I got home that night. I love talking to my mom!

3. Dry Cleaner

Parents are so good about knowing when you need a pep talk. Whether I'm facing a struggle with school or work, they are always helping me realize that I'm not the first one to go through a particular trial and that it's not the end of the world. The situation always seems brighter after a chat with my parents.

2. The Fence

I know I already included this video in another blog post but it's just so good I couldn't leave it out of a lineup of my favorite mormonAds. In our family we almost always do the jobs ourselves (no matter how much my sisters and I try to talk mom and dad into hiring it out or updating it or whatever). The connections we have because of the time spent together working is so important in families and I can see now why it was so important for us to do things together.