I had a chance to talk about gratitude with a friend of mine whom I admire. Both of us have been through things that are hard to be grateful for. It was a good time for me to be thinking about gratitude as I have been feeling very grateful for my life. There are knots in my life's skein that are starting to untangle.
I'm not quite able to encompass everything yet, much like he still has trouble feeling grateful for his marriage, but it is starting to happen. From an eternal perspective, the separation from my daughters is a short moment. Their lives are theirs, as were their deaths.
My life is mine.
I'm grateful for my life. Step by step, day by day, grateful for everything.
Though obviously, more grateful for somethings than others. Today's my anniversary, and I am truly grateful for my dear wife, who is my life.
4 comments:
Yesterday, the lesson in HPG was Elder Wirthlin's talk, "Come What May, and Love It." It was poignant, especially, for a wonderful man in our group who lost an adult daughter to a freak surgical accident. This good man once said:
"I have learned that we draw closest to God in the times of our greatest trials. I only wish I had not had to learn that lesson in the way I did."
Someone mentioned yesterday how deeply he had been touched by this good brother's statement and then proceeded to say that he doesn't pray for trials - that they will come whether we pray for them or not, and that the ones that will come as a natural result of mortality are hard enough without receiving any "special" ones as a result of prayer. I think that is insightful, and I think you understand that well.
This is a wonderful post, Stephen. Thank you for the reminder, so soon after the lesson yesterday. I don't need to ask for extra trials, but, come what may, I still can love my life.
It is a moving talk, we listened to it as well.
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