My Book Club recommendation for May is “Carried” by Michelle Schmidt and Angie Taylor.
I specifically picked this book this month because we celebrated Mother’s Day. I was given this book as a gift before my discovery but at a time I was struggling in feeling I was having little success in my role as a mom. I remember when Annie first went missing and following the story closely because some of my family is related, connected and was very concerned with good reason. My biggest fear is not being able to protect my kids from extreme and harmful circumstances and I couldn’t even fathom what the family was going through and prayed for them to have peace no matter the outcome. This book gave me comfort at the time because Michelle describes the pain she felt in going through the unthinkable but with the assistance of God.
I know we all go through hard things and my feelings were small compared to this but valid nonetheless. I learned that my children are so strong, extra loving and so resilient. I know that God knows my kids more than me and I can only be a resource as their mom to help them along the way. I know that I am a daughter of God and He knows me too and is there for me, just like He was for Michelle in a very difficult and dark time. I read this book again after my discovery and now I had my own perspective of watching people you love go through really hard things. All that I knew before was reconfirmed within my very own life and home. When difficult things come our way we are always given a choice of where to turn…to recognize God and lean into Him or to turn away. I knew that I could not survive my new trial without God on my side and in my everyday life.
Michelle says “But I can just picture some people reading this book who knew me at different times in my life thinking “Is this the same person I knew?” And I would have to answer “ No, I’m not the same person. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ I am not the same person.” I feel the same way. I am a changed and different person because of the Atonement.