It Is What It Is

I attended my ward's Christmas Party tonight and spent the entire evening with the older couples who braved the cold to come share a meal at the church.


I love old people.


Part of it, I'm sure, is because I grew up quite far from my grandparents and then most of them died when I was still young. I was always wistfully jealous of kids who got to go out and have fun with their grandparents on the weekends. I wanted that too.


At some point the realization came that even if I don't get to enjoy grandparents now, there might be an opportunity to have in-law grandparents in the future! This is a very exciting prospect, but for the time being, I've been enjoying the older people who live near by and those I see in the grocery stores or out around town.


This evening a dear couple were leaving the party early at the same time that my family was sneaking out the door. We chatted briefly and the gentleman said something that caught my attention.


His sister just passed away and was buried on Friday. When I asked him how he was doing, he said, "Oh, life keeps going round and round, but sometimes there are flat parts that take a while to get across."


Yeah.


Life is going to keep going around -- sure as the world spins -- but sometimes we hit a rough patch that takes a bit to get over.


I've been thinking a lot today about Joseph B. Wirthlin's 2008 address entitled, Come What May And Love It. This talk was given shortly before he passed away. It is the culmination of a life given to goodness.




The dear man I spoke to this evening is surly missing his sister, but he and his wife are joyful and at peace.

It is hard to grieve.

Life comes with pain. That is how we know the sweetness of being whole.

There have been many mistakes, misunderstandings, and misadventures for me this year. But I wouldn't change anything. 2010 has been the best year I have lived, to date. You see, I've been learning a lot about what it is to accept the pain of life and find sweetness that shines like brilliant stars even when the sky is darkest.

Many times I have had to remind myself that life is what it is. There is no time machine to wind back the clock and undo the terrible mistakes that inevitably occur when least afforded. While it is easy to give up, count the losses, and move on, it is easier still to simply laugh and keep moving in a forward direction.

There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from making it through a difficult situation. A badge of honor worn on the heart. Perhaps I have won a few more this year.

Life is what it is; the only thing we have power over is how we choose to react.

Stars. You can find the original here.