j . a . m . k . m . b: A Tremendous Friday To You...

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."

Friday, April 4, 2008

A Tremendous Friday To You...

Great day today already. It's Friday, which is never a bad thing (except maybe for Matt, who works so much I'm not sure weekends are relevant to him). I was able to get out this morning with a great buddy and play a round of golf - and guess what, I actually played pretty well!

We'll miss Micah this weekend. She left yesterday afternoon with her school dance team to perform at Disneyland either today or tomorrow. Of course she's completely over the moon about the opportunity, and we're glad she gets to do it. The girls are already missing her, which happens in our very small home when someone is missing at a time when they're usually there (like nights). But we eased their pain by having them all up to Google last night for a fun dinner and dessert, (which went pretty well except that Kennan dropped her tray of food, and Brig was all over the place).

Speaking of Brig, I think seriously within a one-week span, he's hit the terrible twos. I guess it's right on time, since this Sunday is his birthday, but still, he went from a sweet fun little boy to a sweet fun little boy who now throws tantrums and gets crazy at the worst possible times. Of course we still love him, and I'm sure my mom would submit an appropriate comment here about what I was like when I was a kid, but still... So we're really pumped for his birthday. He loves opening presents anyway, as in he has to open other people's presents on their birthdays, so he'll be loving his own present day. I can't wait for him to open his full University of Texas football uniform complete with helmet, jersey, shoulder pads, and pants. I think that's going to replace his current favorite outfit of shorts and his cowboy boots. He's a funny kid.

We're looking forward to General Conference this weekend for a number of reasons. We of course enjoy the spiritual upliftment that comes from watching and paying attention, and it'll be extra neat this time to see first hand the impact of the new prophet and first presidency. I admit to also being very happy to not have a day full of bishopric meetings, and it'll be nice to spend a lot of time with the kids. We'll probably split up the sessions with some fun parking-lot bike rides (Morgan's not really ready for roads/trails yet), a park trip or two, and maybe even some family friend time. Should be a nice relaxing weekend.

I played basketball ("2-1-MONEY!" to Brig) last night for the first time since Christmas, and actually had a great time. Fortunately I was able to go over to the ward gym earlier this week to remind myself how to shoot and dribble, so last night went well. I'm happy to say I represented the Richards brothers well. I'm looking forward to getting Dan out to some of these games this summer.

Looks like the Warriors aren't going to make the playoffs...Boo Hoo... ;-)

2 comments:

Unknown said...: ezra's been throwing tantrums too.. and yelling a lot for no reason... it's getting harder and harder to bring him anywhere.

happy birthday to brig this sunday.
we'll have to celebrate when we see you guys!; April 4, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Dan and Hailey said...: Sweet dude, I can't wait!

Happy birthday to Brig!; April 6, 2008 at 7:11 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Friday, April 4, 2008

A Tremendous Friday To You...

2 comments:

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