j . a . m . k . m . b: April Fools Reminiscences

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."

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April Fools Reminiscences

I'm typically not a big fan of April Fool's jokes, but every year on this day, I remember the best joke I've ever seen. There were these two brothers that used to walk to elementary school the same time we would, and we'd generally see them along the way. The older brother was mercilessly unkind to the younger brother, who was quite a bit smaller and really had no choice but to take the abuse. I didn't like the older boy, who was my age, but I didn't know him very well either. So this April 1st, they were running down the hill to school, and we happened to come out of our street about the time they ran past. The next thing I know, the little brother goes flying off the road and winds up in a heap on the grass patch by the sidewalk. He's moaning and looking seriously hurt, and I could see that the older brother was very concerned - probably that he'd finally gone too far. Just as the older boy started to really worry and show concern, the younger kid jumped up, yelled "APRIL FOOLS!" and took off like a shot. The stunned older brother hesitated for a second, and then took off after the kid, I'm sure exacting his revenge later. But it was classic how the younger brother used April Fools to get his older brother completely frustrated. Not sure why that always sticks out to me, but that's what I think of when I think of April Fools jokes.

Oh yeah, we're pregnant again!

1 comment:

Craig and Krista said...: The best April Fool's prank I pulled was several years ago. Craig had been a member of the SWAT team for a couple months, but he hadn't been paged for a call-out. As you can imagine, he was giddy with anticipation. He was sleeping after a graveyard shift when I jumped on the computer and sent a fake SWAT page to his phone. I could hardly contain my laughter as I heard him jump out of bed and yell, "I gotta go!" He grabbed all his gear and raced out the door in a split-second. I had to chase him down the driveway shouting "April Fool's!" I still don't know if he has forgiven me!; April 1, 2009 at 5:09 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April Fools Reminiscences

1 comment:

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