Dearest friend,
Today is a wonderful day! Your birthday marks the moment when a new light came into this world. I hope you have enjoyed and absorbed all the love that is coming your way from friends and family who are celebrating this special day.
You know that I love to write, and so on your special day I wanted to send you a bit of encouragement and love. My prayer is that my words may offer you a bit of sunshine in a moment filled with storms, or in the case of experiencing utter bliss.
There are many ups and downs when it comes to life. While I have been blessed abundantly, I have also had my share of vicissitudes. This past year was a point of transformation in my journey.
For many years, Jonny and I struggled fiercely, trying to figure out why things always seemed so hard. We worked frantically and yet we were faced with set backs and frustrations, we dealt with ongoing sickness and deep rooted sadness. One night, I went outside to take out the trash. The night sky blanketed our home. There was no moon, just darkness. And yet, the stars in the sky flickered tiny specks of hope, billions and billions of miles away. At the moment, Jonny and I talked about the eclipse of our lives, the time when everything seemed dark. I remember so poignantly, recognizing that this black moment would not last forever, we would, at some point feel and celebrate living in the full light of prosperity, happiness and abundance. “Some day we are going to look back on this moment.” Our circumstances did not change that night. But since then things have improved dramatically, financially, physically and with our happiness. We were required to face our challenges, some of which we created on our own, and some of which were tests that we had to pass through, and some of which were the effect of other’s choices.
The culminating experience I had this year was taking my Dad’s family to be sealed in the temple. After years of feeling a deep an abiding sadness for his absence in my life, one that I could not measure or explain, the night we went to the temple, the light of God entered in my heart and healed every broken fiber. I don’t understand the Atonement in entirety, but only in a small measure. I can testify that every misgiving, challenge, or heartache can be healed if you continue walking in the light of the gospel. Now, I feel a great burden lifted. I feel happy. I feel more purpose and more able to create whatever I set my mind on.
I can see you.
Let me explain.
You know when you were a kid, and something horrible happened. The kind of pain that is stuck in your gut, but you don’t want anyone else to know that you are suffering? For me this happened when I was maybe 14. I was traveling by myself to visit my cousin Sarah in Dallas. I had a layover in Denver and had to find the new gate all by myself. I got confused, went across this huge airport to a new terminal, only to discover the gate was where I had come from, and I only had a few minutes to board the plane or I would miss my flight. I rushed as quickly as I could, thinking I was going to be stranded, and alone. I got to my gate, and discovered I had made another mistake, but now I was relieved to find out that I had more time than I thought, and I would not miss my flight. Inside my heart I was all a mess. I held myself together, until I called my mom. At that moment, even though she was hundreds of miles away, I knew she could SEE me. The flight attendants and the security guards were able to look and watch me, but I knew that she could see the real me, my worry and stress, and I could not flee her loving care. I melted into a minor moment of tears.
I can see your loving, wide open heart, who desperately wants to find progression, happiness. I can see your righteous desire to bring up and bear children. After being hurt more times that you want to admit, I can see that you are protective and a little bit afraid. I can see your big eyes light up in the presence of my children, who absolutely love and appreciate you. While I know that I cannot answer all the unanswered questions of your life, I have found some peace along my own journey, that have answered some the questions of my own life. May I share them with you? Some of these are quotes from mentors and loved ones. Others are reflections on my own experiences. I hope you have had a wonderful day, we love you so much!!! You have been a great blessing to me, and to my children. I can’t wait to celebrate the many happy and wonderful things that are to come this year and the next 30.
30 Life Lessons To Celebrate 30 Wonderful Years
- You can find a reason to say no, or a reason to say yes to any opportunity. Don’t let your past heartache predetermine your conviction to say yes.
- The darkest moments of our life provide shadow to the most glorious and bright lessons, if we choose to continue to move towards the light.
- Learning about and serving your ancestors can and will provide a healing balm to any contemporary wound or challenge.
- Always find a reason to hope.
- Facing the real reason for your problem often brings about fierce and real pain. But the only way to let go of that pain is to allow it to overwhelm your senses. You need to see it, recognize it, and with a peaceful and friendly heart, let it go.
- Sometimes people come into our life, that we love, to provide perspective on deeply rooted beliefs that the Spirit is gently asking us to let go of.
- Sometimes people come into our life, that we love, whom we can service, or who can introduce us to people that we can help.
- Sometimes people come into our life, that we love, so we can experience connection, peace, happiness, friendship and strength.
- Sometimes people come into our life, who we do not love, who show us that there is a better way to live that is presently being demonstrated or so that we can know for sure what we really want and need in our own family.
- And then there is that moment, when you finally meet the one. A great peace will settle on your soul, and you will understand why you had to go through your journey the way you did. Whatever you will be required to face, you can face it together and know that you are on the right path.
- Fear exists so that we are required to make a choice.
- The greatest kind of loss is what could have been.
- When you hesitate you miss an opportunity.
- Destruction causes some things to die, and others to live more abundantly.
- Angels are real, both earthly and heavenly.
- The priesthood can be used to call upon God’s power, strength and resilience in times of need.
- Letting go of sadness, opens up your brain to receive inspiration and light.
- You become what you think about. You receive what you believe you deserve. You attract who you are being. If what you are, have or associate with is not satisfactory to your goals, all you have to do is look inside. Improve yourself and consequently your life, your friends and your opportunities will magnify.
- Say hello with a cheerful countenance to everyone who crosses your path, you never know the lift a happy greeting can provide to someone who needs a gentle love.
- Happiness is a habit.
- Sanctify your testimony by attending the temple.
- Give without expectation. Receive willingly.
- Pamper yourself with affection and activities that bring your happiness.
- Most people do not wake up trying to figure out a way to offend. If something offensive happens, forgive easily and quickly.
- Be brave when you are scared. Be bold when you are passionate. Be friendly and kind to all.
- You are an accumulation of ions of time. You are not an accident. You are a progressed, intelligent, wildly blessed daughter of God. The experiences you have here and now, are a tiny and seemingly small blink compared to the journey you have made before you came to earth. Never doubt that you are here now for a great and marvelous purpose.
- Faith, with an eye solely on God’s miraculous ability to create, can be cultivated to ask any blessing. Moses moved the Red Sea. Jesus walked on water. The same faith used by the ancients can be called upon for your behalf, for any challenge and for every blessing.
- There are only two side. Light and darkness. Any step into the darkness limits our ability to choose. Every opportunity for growth and happiness comes from following the light.
- Enjoy every ordinary day, for those are the ones you miss when they are gone.
- There is no race to exaltation. Life is a progression, so enjoy the journey. Take time to travel the back road, and to wander the paths of new opportunities. You are further along than you can imagine, and Heavenly Father is just waiting to pour out his blessings on our head.
