cheaper than therapy...

throughout my entire life, but especially lately, i am reminded how precious this life is. often times my happiness seems to get caught up in the "whens" and "ifs" of life: i will be happy when..., or my life will be complete if... on such occasions i like to remember the words of gordon b. hinckley:

anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. the fact is that most putts don't drop. most beef is tough. most children grow up to be just ordinary people. most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.most jobs are more often dull than otherwise...

life is like an old-time rail journey - delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. the trick is the thank the lord for letting you have the ride.

what i need to do, what we all need to do, is really ENJOY the ride. i want to stop worrying about the little things in life and start living as though everyday were a special occasion... i want to use my good china for no reason, get gussied up to go to the grocery store, forget about the laundry to spend a little more time with the kids & live with no regrets. i want to remember that:

life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

now you probably didn't need to hear any of this, but i needed to express it. i needed to take stock of my life, my situation, and be grateful. i needed to remember that every day, every hour, every minute we have here is special.