From Here To There and Somewhere

Death is a consequence of birth. It's true, you know. We are born in order to die. Nobody thinks that when you are brand new, and I don't think it should be brought up, when life is shining before you. But it is something to keep in mind as you go throughout life. Not in a paranoid kind of way, but in a way that will urge you to think "what am I doing today?" How many days do I have in my life? Nobody here could tell you. We can all make guesses, and I think that most people do, ranging somewhere between 80 and 95. But for some of us, life is much shorter, and when that time comes and its time to look back on our life, what will we say? What will we think? Will we look back and say "I wish I had done this" or "I wish I hadn't have done that". Will we think of all the missed opportunities that crept by us, or that we foolishly threw away for some other seemingly important task? None of us want that. We want our lives to be rich and full of value, meaning, memories, and purpose. We want to be able to reminisce in the nostalgic days of yore. We will want to be sentimental from time to time, and look back with a smile as we view in our minds what we no longer see with our eyes; the past.

And thats just how it goes. An moment comes and then its gone before we really even fully know what happened. Its gone. Was it a good one? Well thats up to you, right now. The past is constantly being made, and once there, it can't really be changed. What happened to you will always be what happened to you. There are no time machines, no regret fixers. Just more time ahead of us to make better of what we did. So how do we fix it, or how do we work it out, so that every past moment is one that can be cherished and treasured? My answer came from President Thomas Monson in a talk he gave in April of 2008. He explains:

Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.

Professor Harold Hill, in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, cautioned, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most.

I remember reading the account of a man who, just after the passing of his wife, opened her dresser drawer and found there an item of clothing she had purchased when they visited the eastern part of the United States nine years earlier. She had not worn it but was saving it for a special occasion. Now, of course, that occasion would never come.

In relating the experience to a friend, the husband of the deceased wife said, “Don’t save something only for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”

That friend later said those words changed her life. They helped her cease putting off the things most important to her. Said she: “Now I spend more time with my family. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket if I feel like it. The words ‘someday’ and ‘one day’ are fading from my vocabulary. Now I take the time to call my relatives and closest friends. I’ve called old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I tell my family members how much I love them. I try not to delay or postpone anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute is special.” - President Thomas S. Monson

And thats how we do it. We make time for the things that matter most. Sometimes we really just want to take a nap, but are we missing the beauty of the day that is around us? Are we missing time that could be spent with family and loved ones? And so, as we remember that we came here to get back there, let us make the most of our days, that they will be full, but not with regrets.

The Thing's I Love

You know, sometimes it takes a moment of silence to reflect on the ever moving road of life. And it is in these moments, I believe, that character is built and forged, as we search ourselves, our lives, trying to see where we are and if we are heading in the right direction. But it is also these moments when we realize how much we truly have in our lives. Amid the shouting and crashing of life, moments like these can be hard to find, but they are so very worth it when we find them.

One of these moments happened tonight, as I was sitting in my living room, talking to my mom. It has been over two years since I have had a late night talk with my mom. I love them. I love them because I love her. I love that we see eye to eye on life, and that our goals are the same: We both want our family to be together forever. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life which gives us this vision of where we are going and of what we can become. I am grateful that my whole family shares this same knowledge, and that it will lead us to become better people every single day of our lives.

I love my mom. I already said this, but it would be silly to think that I could say this enough. My mother is the sweetest, most loving, tender hearted mother there ever could be. She loves her children and thinks and prays about them daily. She worries and prays more about us than she has ever though about herself. She truly shows what it means to be a mother. Her selfless behavior and capacity to love shine through her and touches all with whom she meets. I am sure my mom cares more about me than I will ever understand. I love that I can see her again and give her big hugs throughout the day. I love her.

I love being able to be with my dad. I know life has been busy for him lately with the recent death of his father and with the returning of his son from a mission. But I love how level headed my dad is. He always knows that in the end, things will work out for the best. I am so grateful for his calm and it matches perfectly with my mom, who worries about us all. I love how much he loves his grandchildren, and how much they love him in return. I know he is excited for more to come, and can't wait until both Rudi and I start having kids. He is the best dad, and the perfect grandpa. No little grandkid will be loved so much, as my dad's grandchildren!

I love spending time with my brother, Rudi. He is my best friend and has done such a good job at helping me to be busy and involved in life, and meeting new people. He has been there to talk with me about my mission, as he is the only other member of my family to have served a full time mission. We can talk, and it is so nice to just talk about our missions, about life, about school, and about why things work out the way that they do. Without Rudi, these past two weeks would have been a much lonelier experience.

I love sitting and talking with Laina and Thane, as I get to meet their family once again. I love seeing Hobbes all grown up and Alice still little and smiley. I love that I can go up in the mornings, or Laina can come down, and we can just talk and I can spend time with her family (mostly running with Hobbes). It makes me so grateful for the plan of salvation, and how families just get bigger and better! I love her family, and I love her, as she tries to help me find a job, and keep me feeling up. Laina has always been there for me when I need it the most. I am grateful that she lives so close.

I love the short time I have had to see Mieken and Mike as well. I haven't had much time to see them yet, with Mieken being pregnant and busy, but I am so grateful for them. I love how happy of a couple they are, and how Mieken does her own thing. Recently at our Opa's funeral, Mieken came dressed in her colorful dress of blue, red, green, and yellow, a dress you wouldn't normally expect to see at a funeral. But Mieken wasn't going to give in to the common tradition of wearing a black dress, but instead her dress is just a manifestation of who Mieken really is, and what she truly adds to the world. This funeral was a celebration of life, not a mourning of death. And that's how Mieken always is, happy, and cheerful - always looking to lift others spirits. She is the bright color that lightens up our family.

I love the gospel. I love listening to the words of the prophets and apostles that are so timely and so wise. Their words truly are the words of the Lord, and they will make us happy. I love that during general conference I could listen to their words and apply them to my life, so as to improve upon myself. I love that their advice is practical, helpful, and leads you to do good to others. I love that it helps you forget about yourself and think more about the needs of others.

I love my life. The experiences for the good and bad shape us and make us who we are. How we choose to react to them builds our character and defines us as the individuals we are. I love all the experiences I have had. I hope to choose to make the most of each of them so that my tomorrow's will continue to be as great, and even greater than my yesterday's.