j . a . m . k . m . b: Landscaping Love

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, May 30, 2012

Landscaping Love

Many of you may be familiar with our seemingly endless landscaping saga. Without rehashing the travails, we've kicked into get-it-done mode, and we're actually making some good progress. We're going to finish this bad boy if it's the last thing we do.

We've wanted to be able to use the yard for things like hosting friends, having BBQ's, and just generally hanging out/playing outside. The big side yard has already been the site of numerous neighborhood baseball games, so that's great. It's the back that's been the headache.

Well now, thanks to an awesome assist by my brother-in-law, we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. We're very close to wrapping up the sprinkling system, after which we'll get the rest of the sod laid, and then we are substantially complete. Can't wait! Not only will it make the yard more usable and functional, it will also greatly reduce the amount of dust tracked into the house anytime someone comes in.

Highlights of the work completed so far are the trampoline getting buried in the ground - and the guy who did it for us did a masterful job. We also got the fire pit finished, and that's been a definite plus as we've enjoyed sitting out late at night and talking by the fire, as well as having friends over for roasted marshmallows and fireside chats. To make that easier, we also got a good deal on some of those benches where you can fold the back over to create a picnic table - great to have nice, usable, comfortable sitting and eating places.

Finally, I have to mention the satisfaction I've felt as I work hard out in the yard. Sure I can't completely do all the work out there because it's not really my expertise, but I now feel a ton of equity in the work that I have done.

2 comments:

Unknown said...: glad it's almost done! we'l have to come by when it's done to see it! we still haven't ever seen your new house!; June 4, 2012 at 5:33 PM
samandbrodi said...: I want our trampoline put in the ground. But I am too lazy to do the digging and the moving of sprinkler lines. Congrats on getting it all done with the yard, I bet it will look fabulous.; June 22, 2012 at 11:24 AM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Landscaping Love

2 comments:

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