Broken Tea Set

 Growing up, my grandmother had a little tea set with two dolls and a little table. It was set up at her home throughout my childhood. Being the youngest grandchild, it was always out since she didn't have to worry about younger kids breaking it. I loved playing with it and have fond memories of her house.

When my parents visited us after Gemma was born (and the year my grandma Ashton passed away), she brought the table, tea set, and dolls. I had it set up for Ashton in our spare bedroom so the little kids couldn't get to it. But as Gemma got older and the room was open more often, I knew it wouldn't last. I put it back in storage.

Unbeknownst to me, Ashton found that storage spot and had moved the pieces to a high shelf in her room. Earlier this week, she decided to spend some quiet time in her room and take the tea set down. She played with it and then left it on the floor. I did not go in her room that day.

At bathtime, Gemma went in there and found it. She wanted to bring it in the bath with her so gathered the pieces up and carried them to the bathroom. Well, Gemma is a typical two year old and tripped. The pieces fell to the tile floor and broke.

Ashton was devastated. And so was I. Here were a few pieces of my grandmother's tea set shattered. It was difficult to set aside my emotional feelings when talking to Ashton about this. She was just as sad as I was. She knew the importance and special-ness of them.

Once she calmed down, she gathered the larger pieces and put them in a pile. She asked if I could fix it. I couldn't give her a confident answer but said I'd try my best. She went off to bed and I went off to superglue land.

I was actually able to repair two of the pieces pretty well. Don't get me wrong, they're not perfect. But they can be added back to the tea set. Ashton's smile the next morning was full of joy when she saw them.

As I thought back on this event, I saw a little bit into how Heavenly Father feels when we come to Him and ask "Can you fix this/me?" Often with tears, much like Ashton did. The difference is He can fix it with confidence. We don't go back to the exact same way, we actually grow stronger and better. We aren't perfect but we're closer to perfection. He molds us and strengthens us.

I recall several nights during my battle with depression of pleading to Him to fix me. I wanted the depression lifted from me and wanted to just feel happy again. While the depression did not dissipate overnight, I always felt His love for me. I know I experienced that trial for a reason. Perhaps my own child will face depression or another loved one. This week, I learned of a ward member who is dealing with mental health issues and stayed in a psychiatric hospital. From my own experience of those places, I was able to reach out and love her. While I wanted Heavenly Father to fix me instantly, the trial with depression made me stronger. It made me want to have a family. It made me want to try better and do better.