I haven’t written a blog post in a while, but tonight felt like the right time.

Sometimes the most healing things are not complicated. They do not require a perfect schedule, a perfect family, a perfect home, or everyone living under the same roof.

Sometimes healing looks like everyone logging into a video call on a Monday night, someone’s dog barking in the background, grandkids popping in and out of the screen, and everyone laughing because, for once, we are all together.

That is what Family Home Evening has become for us.

For those who are not familiar, Family Home Evening is a long-standing Mormon tradition. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Monday nights have traditionally been set aside as a time for families to gather, pray, talk, learn, laugh, and strengthen their bonds. It is not supposed to be fancy. It is not supposed to be perfect. It is simply supposed to be intentional.

And honestly? That is what makes it beautiful.

In a world where everyone is busy, tired, scattered, distracted, and usually juggling about seventeen things at once, having one night that says, “Nope, this time belongs to us,” feels surprisingly powerful.

Our version has gone virtual.

We have taken Family Home Evening coast to coast, with family members joining from different places, different time zones, different houses, and different stages of life. We have had special appearances from grandkids, pets, and the occasional dog who clearly believed he was the guest speaker. 🐶😂

And somehow, through the screens, the delays, the side conversations, and the “Can you hear me?” moments, it has started doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

It is grounding us.

It is making us feel like a family again.

Not in some picture-perfect greeting card way. In a real way. A messy, funny, healing, “we’re still here and we still belong to each other” kind of way.

There is something deeply comforting about knowing that on Monday night, we are going to check in. We are going to see faces. We are going to hear voices. We are going to make space for each other. Even if someone is tired. Even if someone is distracted. Even if a grandkid steals the show or a dog decides to contribute a testimony of his own. 🐾

That is family.

And I think that is why traditions matter so much.

They give us a rhythm when life feels chaotic. They give us something to come back to. They remind us that love is not just a feeling. Sometimes it is a recurring calendar event. 😜

What I love most is that Family Home Evening does not have to be limited to Mormon families. You do not have to be LDS to borrow the idea. You do not even have to be religious in a traditional sense.

You can gather your people once a week and make it sacred in your own way.

You can light a candle. Say a prayer. Share good news. Read something inspiring. Talk about what everyone is going through. Let the kids be silly. Let the pets interrupt. End with dessert. Start with gratitude. Make it spiritual, emotional, funny, chaotic, peaceful, or whatever your family needs it to be.

I have come to believe that sometimes healing comes from taking the pieces of faith, culture, and tradition that speak to your soul and building your own spiritual world from them.

Maybe you take Family Home Evening from Mormon tradition.

Maybe you take candle lighting from another faith.

Maybe you take meditation, gratitude, music, scripture, poetry, prayer, ancestral reflection, or Sunday dinner.

Maybe your spiritual practice is a patchwork quilt made from all the places where your soul found comfort.

I think that can be beautiful.

Because the point is not to perform religion perfectly. The point is to create meaning. To create connection. To create moments where your nervous system finally exhales and says, “Okay. I am not alone.”

That is what our virtual Family Home Evening is doing for us.

It is giving us a soft landing place.

It is reminding us that family can be rebuilt. Connection can be restored. Traditions can be adapted. Love can travel through Wi-Fi. And yes, apparently dogs and grandkids make every spiritual gathering better. 💛🐶👶

So if your family feels scattered, start small.

Pick a night. Send the link. Tell everyone to show up as they are. No pressure. No perfection. Just presence.

You might be surprised how much one little weekly gathering can change the emotional temperature of a family.

We were.

And now Monday nights feel a little more sacred.

A little more joyful.

A little more like home. ✨

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