Animals and Children Smell Fear

I truly believe that not only can animals smell fear, but children can, too. Well a mother's fear that is. Teenagers are especially perceptive, in my opinion. And you know what that means...oh yeah...they go straight for the jugular. I have to admit that as far as teenagers go, I am blessed that I really have had relatively few problems with them. I still fear, though... sweaty palmed, stomach knotted,tear drenched pillowed, gut wrenched fear...EVERY day. It's not even as if I'm a newbie at this. I'm on my 5th and last one now. You would think that it would get easier. Ummm, NO! The world is moving at a faster and faster pace and alas I'm not. The opposite in fact. I'm slowing down and the world is speeding up. I'm just plain tired. Doesn't matter, though, I just have to go on. Perfect love is supposed to cast out fear. Although, I'm not perfect, my love for my children is. I don't always love perfectly, but the love itself is perfect. It is my only defense. It is what I cling to, what I hang on to, what I will employ with my dying breath. I often create scrapbook layouts that reflect the way I am feeling at a particular time. I created this layout of my baby teenager (no it is not an oxymoron...she will always be my baby no matter what her age) to share my love and concern for her. A little piece of advice from a man whose ideas are wise beyond my own. The journaling says: "Believe in yourself. Believe in your capacity to do great and good and worthwhile things. Believe in the nature within you, the divine nature, that you are in very deed a daughter of the living God." Gordon B. Hinckley