Changes

I know that changes happen in our lives and they make us a better person...it is still hard non-the-less to experience them.
I was reading some of the past conference issues in the Ensign and found one given by President Monson 8 months after he became the President of our church. I just want to highlight some of the talk that he gave.

Finding Joy in the Journey/October 2008

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.
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 unforseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure, but most of the changes take place subtly & slowly.
Time never stands still; it must steadily march on, and with the marching come the changes.
This is our one and only chance at mortal life - here and now. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. the greatest lessons we are to learn in this sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is importanat and what is not.
In the musical "Music Man" Professor Harold Hill, one of the principal characters in the show, voices a caution that is shared with us, "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.
Rather than dewelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. We should not let them get in the way of what is most importatn - and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. We should never assume; we should let them know. We will never regret the kind word 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.
Send that note to the friend you've been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say "I love you" more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It's so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they are gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of "what if" and "if only."
Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with family & friends. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.
Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill out days - as much as we can - with those things which matter most. Cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.

Couldn't have said it any better than this...I asked my sister what she regretted most about not being able to see our dad the last few months of his life and she said "It was not being able to talk to him more..and yes I spoke with my dad in September and that was the last time I saw him and the last time I spoke with him..it wasn't because we didn't want to talk to him, he was in a nursing home with no phone, we did get him a phone to use...but he couldn't see the phone very well, too small for him...he did however, call my mom all the time. I was able to tell him I loved him one last time...and was very grateful that I said those word to him.

Changes happen like I said whether we want them to or not...I know that changes make us grow and without them where would we be...in a life that nothing ever would change. Doing the same thing every day and night...I'm glad for changes in my life...they have made me stronger and know that I can get thru most of these changes, it doesn't happen fast for me, but at a gradual pace.