Janet S. Scharman, Student Life Vice President, BYU

BYU Women’s Conference 2002

“I think our experience on earth is like the playhouse in my backyard. It’s not too far from the ‘big’ house, so the parents can keep an eye on their little ones and hear their confident calls ‘Look at me’ as they zip down the slide. Sometimes, the voice is a little more plaintive as a younger one hollers for help—the top of the slide looking down is much more daunting than the bottom looking up. The playhouse is a place where the children can practice independence and have picnic lunches, a place where they can learn to obey the rules. It’s a place they can learn to get along, to share, to get sand out of each other’s hair and let everyone into the club, no matter how old they are. At the end of the day, the kids come back and we are together—as a family.”