j . a . m . k . m . b: Back Home and Feelin Good

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, June 1, 2009

Back Home and Feelin Good

I got home from my New York business trip late Friday evening and was very happy to be home. I thought the trip was very productive, and I was busy enough that I didn't have much time to miss the family, so that was good. But it's always super nice to roll into the home front and have the kids very excited to see their old man. When I got on the plane at JFK ready for a 5pm Friday flight, I was pretty sure it was going to be the worst flight ever:

In ascending order of horrendousness, here were the following events in chronological order: 1. got on the plane and it was stiflingly hot; 2. not much overhead space so in shoving my carry-on into the tight confines I popped a zipper off; 3. the kid behind me was absolutely wailing and kicking my seat; 4. and the real doozy... a very, very large black woman with a cough came on the plane late and wouldn't you know that she was on my row, right next to me, in the middle. She couldn't sit down without lifting up the armrests, which of course meant that she would essentially be sitting on me the entire flight. She was coughing a lot, and as you can imagine, she was like a giant heater (on an already hot plane). She then reached up and turned my air off, which I then turned back on and she complained she was cold. I left it on... As we took off, the kid thankfully quieted down, but this lady was smashing me against my other armrest, and I was extremely uncomfortable. I was pretty sure at that point that I would never again be flying Delta airlines. Well, the stewardesses came to the rescue about 1/2 hour into the flight- finding me a new seat (exit row no less!), and making sure I had plenty of drinks the rest of the flight. I guess they could tell I was hating life...

Sooooo, we had a good weekend with the family. The girls were all in the school dance concert, and they did great. We also got to hang out with a few friends we hadn't seen for a while, and it was nice. I also went on a great bike ride on Saturday - perfect warm/hot weather, and pretty good legs. The kids are psyched that this is their last full week of school, and we're all looking forward to fun summer stuff.

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Monday, June 1, 2009

Back Home and Feelin Good

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