I know that it is a little early for the "Thanksgiving Gratitude thoughts," but I have just felt so peaceful today. I really do love my life. Though things are far from perfect, (I actually have a goal of not yelling at my children this week), I feel so much gratitude. Life is good. I have 3 healthy daughters, an amazing and good husband, a nice little home and just a satisfying life. I daydream about fixing up my house more or moving somewhere else or having more "things," but then I realize that I have everything I could ever want or need. Sure, I have to put some things on the back burner and I question if I can handle this parenting thing. It really hit me the other day when I was at home and it was so quiet with Olivia at school. Time goes too fast. I was getting teary eyed as I was cleaning the kitchen, a common time for self-reflection for me, and I was feeling like I was taking my life for granted.
The words of President Monson came to mind,
"My brothers and sisters, there is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today. 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."
These words have often come to mind since I first heard them. I was probably being a tad dramatic, but I felt like my oldest was growing up so fast and I was trying so hard to remember life when it was just her as my baby. Thank goodness for those scrapbooks :) But, I realized that I can never go back and so I need to be better at enjoying each day and each moment. We only get one shot at this life and so make the best of it!
4 comments:
I am with you Anne. Time surely does fly. Sometimes I look at Nathan and think about our times in that old apartment. I think about all of the TIME I spent with him, just him. What a wonderful first 2 years he had. I know I can't expect that all of my kids received that special attention, but I wish they could have. I should try harder to show them in other ways that they are so important to me, just like Nathan probably thought, and was, my everything.
Annie, I am so with you in your thoughts,and being grateful,and about time passing. I used to wish my children s childhood away,I was so over whelmed and so consumed with the mundane things of life that I did not take the time to really enjoy the time I did have. and you know what President Monson said is so true,I truly do miss the craziness and the questions that never seem to have an end,yes it truly passes faster than I realized. but it sounds like you have it together and are enjoying each phase at it comes,and yes it is great we have scrapbooks a pictures to look at.
i needed to read this today. thanks.
I've been having similar thoughts lately as different friends in recent weeks have struggled with death, cancer, and unemployment. It really has me thinking about the most important things in life....and where my "treasures" are.
Well said, Anne.
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