What's in a Name?

About 5 years ago a long list of trials loaded on the Carlile family plate. One family member was suffering a heavy trial - and doing it all alone. He didn't want to share it with his mom because, as he saw it, she didn't need one more thing to deal with. That was understandable, as she was in the middle of dealing with her own Breast Cancer.

After hitting bottom he decided to share his situation with his mother, to which she immediately inquired WHY he had not come to her sooner. He shared how he didn't want to add one more thing to her plate at the time. 

Her response CHANGED ME FOREVER! She replied (paraphrased) "Darn it son! Carlile women are STRONG WOMEN."  And then reminded him that family can't help family if they aren't aware when you need them.

"Carlile women are Strong Women!" Wow. How true! They...WE are! And at that moment I began to realize the power in a name. OUR name!

When Mark & I got engaged I thought how excited I was to now, by marriage, have a pioneer heritage. He has ancestors from Nauvoo times, cross-the-plains-with-Brigham-Young times, lose-a-child-at-Winter-Quarters times, respond-to-a-prophet's-call times.  I was thrilled that we would be able to pass that heritage to our children.

But on the day that my mother-in-law said those words "Carlile Women are Strong Women", I realized they have a heritage of much more than what their pioneer ancestors gave them.  We, as Carliles, have an identity - a family identity. I am a Carlile woman, and therefore I am strong. I live up to that identity of Carlile women. And the beautiful things is...so do my daughters.

So three Christmases ago we took our children on a family retreat. While in Monterey, we discussed and began to compose a list of our own Carlile Family Identity.  The list was long, funny, impressive, touching, and more.  We posted it on our wall at home. But it still needed some work. Pieces of who we are were missing. I have continued to work it over for a couple years now. Friends have even offered ideas of who they saw us to be, and those things were added.

At last I feel ready to have a Amber create an artistic version of our family identity list, "Carliles are..." to hang permanently in our homes - and our children's homes-away-from-home.  (Can't wait to see what she does with it!) But until then...

 ...this is who we are...as a family...as CARLILES!

 CARLILES ARE…

Carliles are Confident

Carliles are Capable

Carliles are Cute

Carliles are Kind

Carliles Contribute

Carliles Create Masterpieces

Carliles Can Count on Each Other

Carliles Make Good Things Happen 

Carliles Make Time for Things that Matter

Carliles are Participants, not Spectators

Carliles Go After What They Want

Carliles Keep their Commitments

Carliles Can Make Things Work

Carliles are Happy Campers

Carliles Keep it Real

Carliles Love Life

Carliles Crave Sweets

Carliles are Happy to Help

Carliles Do Whatever it Takes

Carliles are Confident in the Kitchen

Carliles Cover Everything in Ranch

Carliles Celebrate in Style

Carliles Keep Trying

Carliles are Clean

Carliles are Strong

Carliles Love to Laugh

Carliles Can Do Hard Things

 Carliles Keep their Standards High

Carliles Love and Follow the Lord

Carliles Care about Eternity

Carliles CAN!