The Reason...

(Emery said this flower reminded her of a jellyfish)
I thought I would just take a minute and explain my title to my blog. I changed it soon after our church had it's General Conference in October. This is when our beloved President spoke to us about change. It was one of those talks that felt like it was given for me, the whole thing, not just one part, but all of it just struck a chord in my heart. Here is a glimpse of what he said,

"I begin by mentioning one of the most inevitable aspects of our lives here upon the earth, and that is change. At one time or another we’ve all heard some form of the familiar adage: “Nothing is as constant as change.”

Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

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.

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.

This was just a great reminder for me, because I can get so consumed with all that is going on around me. I have been trying to make a sincere effort everyday to follow his words, because simply put he is right. Especially these days, there are a lot of things in the world that can be upsetting, so instead of pondering them, I'm just trying to find the Joy in the Journey.