j . a . m . k . m . b: Happy Birthday Micah!

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, July 7, 2008

Happy Birthday Micah!

Micah turns 11 years old today, and we're so happy to celebrate with her. It seems like every year her birthday gets somewhat swallowed up in the business of the summer - last year Ang and I were in Philadelphia for her birthday, and this year it's been a little crazy leading up to the big day but we're definitely in celebrate mode now.

Micah's so great! We love her so much and we're so grateful that we can count on her as if she were much older. I asked Brig this morning how old Micah is turning and he said "firty". That was definitely worth a laugh, but it's also somewhat indicative of Micah being mature beyond her years. It's hard to believe that we've had Micah in our lives for 11 years, but it's also very hard to remember life before Micah. We can't think of a better girl to have as our oldest than her because she is so good, so helpful, so successful, and so happy.

We were able to start our celebrations early with Grandpa and Grandma, who came out for a few days until they left early yesterday morning. It was sort of a celebration for all of us as we filled the days with many fun activities: San Francisco Zoo, ward July 4th breakfast, swimming with friends, barbecue with Richards family West, fireworks at the golf course with half the ward, Monterey Bay Aquarium, ice cream cones at Baskin Robbins and at the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf shop, books for Micah at Borders (G&G's bday gift to Micah), a little bit of house arranging with their help, reading books in Grandma's bed, and more. It was a great few days and we're really glad they could come out to visit.

The triumph for me of the last few days was getting all our electronics re-set up after the move, including a new wireless card I had to insert inside the desktop, and a new external hard drive (500GB) that's our new backup system for photos, videos, and music. I also have pretty much most of my stuff put away, which leaves all the junk around the house as Angela's... :)

This will be a really good week for us of just getting back to normal and trying to settle more into our new place.

1 comment:

samandbrodi said...: Seriously, the best part about moving in to a new place is being able to set up all of the electronics. I feel like a real geek being able to set up the wireless, computers, printers, etc. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and yes, I realize that is a bit pathetic.; July 7, 2008 at 3:20 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, July 7, 2008

Happy Birthday Micah!

1 comment:

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