Today in sacrament meeting, a member of our bishopric was sharing his testimony, and he reminded us that we are all children of God -- eternal beings who are currently living a temporary mortal experience.
I know this, but the way he said it really struck me. He talked about living with an eternal perspective, and that this enables us to find happiness, even in the midst of trials and difficulties. I have found this to be true. I know it's possible to be happy, even when times are hard. I don't know that there will ever be a time in our lives when everything is perfectly in place, so I've learned to be happy now. Find joy in the journey, as President Monson says.
This bishopric member also said that he is grateful for the passage of time. I don't know that I've ever thought of it in quite that way before. He expressed gratitude for the life experiences time has brought him, as well as a little wisdom along the way.
While I do appreciate the things I've learned and experienced in my life thus far, I cannot unequivocally be grateful for the passage of time. Christmas vacation, for instance, sure did pass by quickly. I'm not ready for the kids to go back to school tomorrow, for the lessons and dentist appointments and everything else to start up again. I have loved this relaxing, at-home time.
Strangely enough, it hasn't felt like the new year yet to me, not until tonight. Now I feel it. So, in that vein...
Goodbye 2008:
Goodbye President Hinckley
Goodbye Fourth Ward
Goodbye to Marc being the financial clerk
Goodbye hopelessly unorganized studio
Goodbye Grammy Lou
Goodbye to our wonderful trip to San Francisco
Goodbye linoleum!
Goodbye lovely Oregon Coast
Goodbye diapers!
Goodbye to a quilt 4 years in the making
Goodbye Charleston
Goodbye mice! (thanks, Lelly)
Goodbye to bags and bags of donations and trash
Goodbye to some of our retirement fund
Goodbye perennially freezing basement
Goodbye ugly white railing with plastic sheeting
Goodbye holiday chaos
Welcome 2009.
I will try even harder to keep an eternal perspective this year, to find joy in the journey, to appreciate each day so that I will not mourn the passing of time.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
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14 comments:
I often mourn the passing of time too, although sometimes I'm very ready to move on. Not right now though, I'm with you on feeling reluctant about tomorrow approaching, the routine is returning.
I have a love/hate relationship with time. I love having life experience and a maturing perspective, but I don't like feeling like I'm getting old or that there's things I wish I would have done differently. I guess that's the bittersweet reality of time though so I really ought to learn a lesson from my years of life and start appreciating and taking advantage of the time I have.
I will have to take some time to think about this... it will kind of rock my world to be grateful for the passage of time. I get the perspective part but I don't know how to get past the panic of the time with the kids going so quickly...
I am NOT AT ALL ready for school to start again. I have loved having the time off too.
oh i love this post. i love that you said goodbye to diapers and a 4yr in the making quilt! that is big!
happy new year, michelle.
ps- you made my day with your 13 comments greeting me. love that!!
good bye, mice?!?
Ha! Lelly is so funny!
I am definitely one to mourn the passage of time, so this was a good reminder for me. Isn't it funny how something you already know can seem so fresh when it comes from a different perspective? I love that!
Our sermon in church yeaterday was about the passage of time also. Our priest said how most people are happy to say goodbye to 2008 and start fresh and that we should be aware that each year moves us closer to the completion of God's plan of salvation for us. Thinking of it in that respect definitely keeps me from mourning the passage of time!
Having an eternal perspective really does make a difference.
I live where there are not alot of people that believe in that. I notice a real difference in how they lead their lives.
I loved your "goodbye 2008" list.
Life is so filled with the good and bad "goodbye moments" IE...
diapers & mice vs. President Hinckley & the Oregon Coast.
Happy New Year-!
This is so interesting to think about. Everything changes when you think of it that way. I love your list of 08. There is so much that I am happy to be done with and so much I wish wouldn't end.
What a wonderful post! Thanks for inspiring me!
Oh no, you mentioned the mice! Haha!
Time passing by scares the pants off me. As a parent, you sometimes find yourself realising that all your plans to be the perfect parent are just dilly-dallying - you suddenly realise, 'Right, this is all actually happening NOW and I've just got to get on with it. This is no rehearsal - I'm parenting now, today!' Eeeeek!
(that's eeek, not squeak! It's not mice again!)
I like your "Goodbye 2008" list and feel (somewhat) inspired to make my own. I am definitely going through Vacation Detox and not snapping back into real life routines easily. You have inspired me, however, not to mourn the passage of time.
Did you post about the final riddance of the mice? I'm curious how you finally ousted them.
I was struggling for days after the new year too. It just didn't feel like it.
ditto to your last statement. I want all of those things. Why is it so hard to really capture the eternal perspective?
I'm loving your banner.
Is it weird that sometimes the passage of time doesn't even phase me, and others, well it stops me dead in my tracks? Like as soon as Kaylee was done with her car seat I was getting rid of it and so happy to move on. Now that she is growing out of the baby clothes and almost out of her crib, it pains me to no end! I need balance and agree that being grateful for the passage of time is something I could really, really use.
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