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There is much to be said for the strength of family!
We’ve been reminded of that this past week as we’ve watched Ed and Lois Smart and their tight-knit, supportive extended family.
In fact, looking back on the past nine months since Elizabeth Smart was discovered missing, the strength of the Smart family has been extraordinary.
Early on, they stood solidly together as they pleaded for the return of Elizabeth. Their solidarity, complimented by their dignity, and sustained by their obvious deep and abiding religious faith, offered hope within and beyond the family circle.
It got the Smarts through the initial trauma of the kidnapping. It sustained them through the ordeal of waiting and wondering. Indeed, it gave strength to the local community, even the entire nation. And it was one of the family’s youngest members who offered the defining clue that ultimately led to Elizabeth’s return.
Now, it is the strength of family that will be the primary force in helping Elizabeth and her many loved ones put the ordeal of the abduction behind them. Few things in life are as therapeutic as caring arms, genuine smiles and heartfelt love.
Such familial fundamentals are at the very core of what life is all about. KSL thanks Ed and Lois Smart and their extended family for providing a potent and inspiring example.
