j . a . m . k . m . b: the latest

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, March 9, 2010

the latest

Last week was my 3 year mark at Google. While this is big for me as it is officially the longest time I've been at any company, it is also HUGE in that I now get an extra week of vacation each year. Hello the Good Life!

So we finished our taxes last night. It became clear when we saw the final outcome that Angela and I had had very different perceptions about what was going to show up. I was very worried we were going to get stuck with a large tax bill, and Angela was convinced we were going to get a large refund. Turns out, we were both wrong... We pretty much hit our tax liability on the head this year - we owe a couple hundred to the Federales, and we get a few hundred back from the state. So good news for me, bad news for Angela (which of course in the grand scheme of things means bad news for me... dangit). I know a lot of financey folks who would jump for joy at not having "lent" the gov't their money ahead of time, but I admit that I have loved the large refunds we've grown accustomed to over the years.

Kennan and Morgan are performing in their school talent show today. They're singing a Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana song, and they sound really good. They're throwing in some simple harmonies, and if they can just sing as well on stage as they do at home, they're going to be golden. I'm heading over for a quick break from work to see them do their thing.

Angela has been incredibly busy. She's in the thick of big school projects, and at the same time her YW camp stuff is also ramping up. I'm glad she's having these great opportunities, but it is also taking a toll on her. Hopefully she'll be able to unwind a little at the Richards Girls weekend this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to hanging with the munchkins for the weekend.

1 comment:

Anne & Brandon said...: We just did our taxes too, but we've had so much taken out that we're getting a nice refund. Now don't get too jealous, but we bought a motorcycle!; March 12, 2010 at 8:48 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

the latest

1 comment:

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