j . a . m . k . m . b: New York

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, October 28, 2008

New York

I'm in New York City for a few days this week and it's very cool. I'm staying at the Four Points Sheraton in Manhattan, which if you want to look it up on a map it's on 25th St and 7th Ave. My days have consisted of walking down to Google's offices at 15th St and 9th Ave, and then meeting/working with fellow team members and people I support. It's been really fun to work in a different environment, and the feel here is pretty cool. My business partners and team members have all been very friendly and they seem happy to meet me and have me on board.

I've enjoyed walking the streets of NY to and from the office. It's interesting to see all the hurrying people, the shops, delis, vendors, parents walking their kids to schools that don't look like schools, a million taxis, and the smokers. Yesterday was a beautiful East Coast fall day; today it's raining like crazy. Luckily I walked to the office before the heavy rain came, but it certainly does have implications for my walk home later if it doesn't let up.

One thing I really don't enjoy about traveling is being away from the family. I feel so separated, even if I know what they're doing at given times of the day. It's even difficult to call them to feel better because it's fairly rare that nothing's going on and they can actually talk. Let me rephrase that...it's tough to talk to Angela without feeling her stress of the day, without Brig screaming to talk, or without the car full of kids drowning out the conversation. Fortunately I'm not gone long.

I also don't sleep very well in hotels. Actually, I can just plan on the first night being horrible, and then after that I'm usually so tired from no sleep the first night that I can sleep. But I got some exercise in the gym this morning, I've been drinking a lot of water to combat the plane/hotel dry air, and I'm good to go.

I feel slightly guilty that I'm not taking advantage of the trip out here to see a show or something uniquely New York. The problem is, I try to work late to maximize the work time, so that doesn't leave too much time for other things after dinner. Maybe I'll see what I can find for tonight or tomorrow...

1 comment:

Britt said...: Hey John...hows it goin? I found your blog through Caroline who is friends with my friend Laree.

Anyway, it sounds like you are doing great. Tell Ang hi from me and to give me a call next time she is in town. It has been way too long! Later!

Brittany (Brammer) Adams; October 30, 2008 at 1:56 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

New York

1 comment:

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