j . a . m . k . m . b: Thanks, and a little Hoops talk

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."

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Thanks, and a little Hoops talk

We're running short of two things in our house at the moment: vases, and thank you cards. Micah received so many flowers from friends at her plays, that every vase we have is full of roses or daisies or tulips or who knows what kind of allergy-inducing fauna. Which brings us to the thank you cards... Between Micah and Kennan thanking people for attending their big events recently, and giving generous gifts for birthdays, baptisms, and play participation, we have about a billion people we have to thank. Actually, I should restate that...THEY have about a billion people THEY need to thank. That's not really my department... But I will send out a general thank you for all your words and thoughts of support during this time for the kids. We appreciated it all.

This is a great time of year. March Madness starts this week in which both our teams (BYU and Texas) are playing, as well as our local team (Stanford), and all have at least a reasonable chance of winning a game. It's fun as usual to fill out a bracket, trying in vain to predict miracle upsets, blowouts, survivals, choke jobs, injuries, buzzer beaters, Cinderellas, PTPers, and domination while constantly trying to assess if it's your heart or your head that's calling the shots.

Another amazing thing in the sports world right now is the NBA. Let me break it down: You have the Eastern Conference, with the best two teams in the league (record-wise), and pretty much everyone else stinks, where only 5 teams are even over .500 (and just barely for the fifth) and one of the playoff bound teams is 9 games UNDER .500 - seriously. Then you have the Western Conference where the WORST playoff team (i.e. the 8th place team) is 17 games OVER .500, only 4.5 games separate all the playoff contenders, and the top team in the West, the Houston Rockets, had to win 23 straight games to get there (streak will end tonight). A lot could happen in the final 17 games of the season...keep watching because it could get even more interesting. Let's hope the Jazz can stay in the mix!

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Thanks, and a little Hoops talk

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