The Blessings of the Year

So, obviously my blog is fairly new, and today I had a lot of time to think and I was thinking about the many blessings that I have in my life, and particularly the blessings from this year.  So, I wanted to write a little about the opportunities and experiences I have been blessed with so far this year.

Family- First of all, I have probably the greatest family ever.  I mean, they have put up with me for 24 years now, so their patience and kindness is obviously attested.  But seriously, my family is truly amazing.  It has been neat to be able to spend so much time with my sister and brother-in-law and their kids before they moved.

Friends- I also have to admit that I have some of the most amazing friends ever, even if I don't get to spend much time with them always.  Since returning from my mission it has been nice to catch up with old friends.  But living in D.C. for a semester and then in Edinburgh it has been awesome to meet so many new people and make so many new friends.  And they have helped me a ton as I have moved and my life has changed so frequently.  Whether it be from work, or from the wards, or even meeting old friends, sometimes very randomly, I have loved the opportunity to learn from so many wonderful people.

Work/Learning- This year has given me two great work opportunities with a lot of learning that comes with it.  Working first for the LDS Church Office of Public and International Affairs, then with the Scottish Parliament I have had a lot of opportunities to grow and learn.  Whether it be writing letters, or press releases, or motions, or learning the details of Scottish elections, or campaigning, or even making invitations with lots of daisies on them, I have loved the internships that I have had.

Experiences- I have been able to live in Washington D.C. and Edinburgh, so what more needs to be said about being blessed?  But, honestly, both of these places are so full of cultural and historical sights that are amazing.  From the Lincoln Memorial to St. Giles, from Edinburgh Castle to the Isle of Skye, from Melrose Abbey to the Holocaust Museum there are so many places that celebrate the greatness of life.  They seek to celebrate great men and role models, and inspire us to be better.  There are other churches to visit, and great speeches and books to read, foreign movies to watch and Scottish dances to learn.  I have gone on bus tours and hikes through some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.

In short, I am glad to be alive and to have the chances that I have.  

Living Deliberately

Henry David Thoreau once wrote about an experiment of sorts where he lived in the woods by Walden Pond.  He did so out of a desire to "live deliberately...to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life...and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived." (From Thoreau's Walden)  For years after reading this I felt a sense of guilt almost, wondering what I was doing wrong and what I was missing.  Which brings me to today.  This morning I climbed Arthur's Seat, a large hill that dominates the Edinburgh skyline, and gives an awe inspiring view for miles all around.  For some reason as I climbed up, amidst the wildflowers on a bright and sunny morning, the words came to my mind and I realized that while I was no Thoreau I had been striving to live deliberately for some time.

I thought about how it doesn't take that much to get there.  There have been times in my life when my goal was simply to survive, to endure and to get by.  Not surprisingly, those times are bland, and incredibly unhappy.  It is like looking forward to something that will never come.  It is waiting for that mythical tomorrow where happiness just arrives, without doing anything to cultivate that happiness.  Or we can seek to truly live, and learn, and laugh and love.  We can accept the pain and sorrows of the world, and cry and grow from the hard times.  We can make friends, and cherish those relationships.  We can look at the beauty of the world around us and marvel.  We can be perplexed and confused, and accept that some things are simply beyond full comprehension.  In essence, we can seek to endure waiting for a happiness to come, or we can seek to create that joy in our lives now.  The choice is ours.  All of us can create our own personal Walden pond experiences.  We can all find quiet moments to reflect on life and see if we are truly living.  In my personal experience I know that doing so will bring a greater depth to life, and bring a greater joy and peace.  Even our Waldens will have rainy and sorrow filled days, but as we truly seek to LIVE then we will someday look back at those times and realize the strength that comes from hard times.  And then when the day comes for us to move past this life we can have the peace of knowing that we truly have lived.