j . a . m . k . m . b: Family Reunion

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

... Professor Harold Hill, one of the principal characters in [The Music Man], voices a caution that I share with you. Says he, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

f you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”³ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”

Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”¹⁰ May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey."

Monday, October 22, 2007

Family Reunion

The term "family reunion" doesn't always conjure up the most pleasant of thoughts, but this week, it's the greatest! The majority of the Richards clan is headed down to Disneyland for a few days of fun together, and we can't wait! The girls have been counting down for weeks now, and we're amazed the time is almost here. We've been so busy that it's come upon us somewhat suddenly.

A few things that will be great about this week's trip:

All but Dan and Hailey will be making the trek to SoCal. We'll really miss them, but considering they have a very new baby and a tough first semester of business school going on, it's understandable that the timing didn't work perfectly for them. It'll be awesome to hang out with everyone and relax together.
We'll all be on vacation at the same time...I know, you're thinking "duh", but when we go to Utah to visit, we're typically the only ones on vacation, so we have to sort of weave our vacation with everyone's normal lives. They do a great job of accommodating us, but that's just the point - nobody will be accommodating anyone, we'll all be on vacation together.
Disneyland: if you do this place right, it can be great. This is the right time of year, and I'm guessing it won't be overly crowded, so we should have a great time. Also, from what I hear, the hotel is very close to the park (i.e. walkable), which will give us a lot of flexibility with tired kids and dads.
The weather: here's the forecast...Thursday - Sunny, 83 degrees; Friday - Sunny, 77 degrees...... ah yeah.

We're really grateful to Grandpa and Grandma Richards for putting this together. They're the best!

3 comments:

Molly said...: You guys know that Caleb, the twins and I won't be there either, right? Dang, I thought I told you. I will miss seeing you guys so much! Be thinking of me here alone, swimming in infants and toddlers while you're living it up in the sun! :); October 22, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Nate said...: Ah yeah....we can't wait. Molly we'll miss you and the younger clan. Dan and Hailey, we can't wait to get away from you ;). Everyone else, HERE IT COMES...WE ARE SO EXCITED.

John (nice blog, by the way).; October 22, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Unknown said...: have fun! i hope the wildfires don't bother you on the trip.; October 23, 2007 at 9:25 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, October 22, 2007

Family Reunion

3 comments:

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