When I was traveling up the Alcan a couple of weeks ago, I had an interesting conversation with my son. We were talking about serving a mission for our Church as he is of that age. I told him it was his choice as to whether he served or not. He told me that he really didn’t want to go, but that he was going to anyway because he knew it was the right thing to do. I told him that probably wasn’t the best reason to go, but I guess.

When we got home I was talking to my husband about what he had said and what I had responded. My husband was disappointed in my response. He said that part of becoming a man as compared to being a grown boy was his willingness to do things simply because it was the right thing to do, even if he didn’t want to do it, and following through with that resolve.

I had never thought about it that way. I was grateful for the explanation and later talked with my son and told him what his dad had said. My son is working hard to figure out his direction in life and figure out what he wants to do. I am grateful he still wants us to be involved in the process, at least most of the time!

I like my husband’s definition of what separates men from boys. Taking responsibility even when we don’t want to. I think that is also what separates adults from people who are simply adulting once in a while. I have learned through the years that life is hard. Even when we’re doing what we should, there are always going to be trials, times when we want to give up, times when we want to forgo that responsibility because it’s hard.

But part of growing up is hitting life head on, or at least continuously trying to move forward. It’s about getting back up when we’ve been knocked down. It’s also about helping each other get back up when we see them falter.

We each have a choice every day to be responsible, not only for our actions, but for our responses to others actions as well. Peace of mind comes when we know we did what we should have even when it was hard. Peace in our country will come only when we start doing what is right, actually right, not just what people say their personal right (or truth) is.

We seem to have a lot of boys and girls in this country right now, but we need more men and women. Men and women who stand up for right and truth. Men and women who are willing to be honest, willing to listen, willing to work with people they disagree with, simply because it’s the right thing to do. Men and women who have the greater good in sight rather than their own good as their objective.

I am grateful for my husband’s perspective and for his willingness to help me course correct at times. I am grateful for my son’s willingness to stand up and do what is right, simply because it is the right thing to do and for his great example to me. None of us are perfect, we all need grace, every single day. But I know we can do a little bit better every day, and I’m grateful we all have the chance.