Celebrating Each Other’s Accomplishments

Michael Young, Utah, USA

When I was young we had a special family home evening at the end of each school year. Our parents selected a small but meaningful gift for each of us and wrapped it. We then gathered in the living room, and my parents took out one of the gifts. They read clues they had prepared that corresponded to a member of our family. These clues usually described accomplishments of that family member.

The clues started out general and grew more specific. At the end of the list, everyone called out the name of the person, which was obvious by this point, and the person stepped forward to open his or her present. This continued until everyone had been recognized and had received a gift.

These family home evenings helped each family member feel accepted and appreciated. They also brought us closer together as a family as we celebrated the accomplishments of the year. We always took the time afterward to pray together and thank the Lord for the blessings we received that year.

Illustration by Beth Whittaker