j . a . m . k . m . b: First Day of Fall...

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, September 22, 2010

First Day of Fall...

With the start of each new season, I always think "I LOVE Fall/Spring/Summer..., etc." I think it represents a change, however small, and progress. I also associate certain things and events with the different seasons - for example, when I wake up on a Fall Saturday morning to crisp air and early morning sunshine, I feel like I should go for a long run before the football game starts.

As yesterday was the first day of Fall 2010, I celebrated by going on a short bike ride after work, and I really enjoyed riding up a mountain with the leaves starting to change color and the cool air. It's funny because the weather is consistent here that there was probably no physical difference from the day before, but it at least mentally felt like the true first day of Fall.

I spent a good hour and a half last night helping Kennan study for her science test today. She's a smart girl but has been struggling with her new teacher's teaching style, and it's been showing in her tests and quizzes. So as painful as it can sometimes be, I enjoy helping her because it really makes her happy to learn things, and I can see her confidence grow as she realizes she can do it.

We were driving in the car over the weekend, and the road turned a bit bumpy. We went fast over a relatively big bump, and Brig said, "oh! that made my private parts tickle!" You should have heard us laugh... He's also been fixated recently on math problems. He walks around the house challenging everyone with things like "what's one hundred plus nine?" Or he'll say "what's 9 + 8?" and then blurt out "18!" He even got to the point last night where he said at the dinner table: "what's air plus air? ... Air!", accompanied by his usual proud smile. We'll work on that one.

Angela is participating in her very first triathlon this Saturday. I can't wait to go see her, and I'll try to post pictures later if she lets me. She's been ruling my blog commentary with a bit of an iron fist lately (just kidding honey :-), so not sure if she'll let me tell you how great she is, how hot she looks, how fast she was, etc.

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

First Day of Fall...

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