After a week of eating in restaurants, traveling, a wedding reception and Thanksgiving dinner, not surprisingly, my weight and measurements are up a bit. Time to get back on the wagon.
This week has changed my perspective on life a bit. I think it's pretty common that big life events do that. Whether it is a birth, a marriage, a death, or other significant event, there often comes with it a recollection of what is truly important in life.
As most of you already know, my daughter was married this week. The week began with our family traveling to Utah for the occasion. We stayed in the home of Troy's brother and his family. They have four girls, and our kids love to interact with each other. We were reunited with our daughter Dana and her fiancé Cameron. We spent time together, we laughed and had fun, and we scrambled around to tie up any loose ends before the wedding. We visited with other aunts. uncles and cousins, and were introduced to and reacquainted with several of Cameron's family members as well.
In our faith, marriage is more than just a uniting of a man and woman in this life. It involves several sacred covenants with God and binds a couple to one another and to God for eternity. It can only be entered into after demonstrating through one's actions a strong commitment to living God's laws. It represents what amounts to passing through the final door that leads to the path of eternal life. I guess my point is that this is a big deal in Dana's life.
One of the privileges of this week was being able to see Dana and Cameron together. They are a wonderful example of what true love looks like. They despair whenever there is a moment that they have to let go of one another's hand. Their faces are glowing with love and joy. We teased them as we took photos after the wedding that they needed to work on having a look of genuine happiness. At one point, Cameron's aunt leaned over to his brother Andrew and said, "Cameron's going to go through his quota of kisses for the day," to which Andrew replied, "Oh, no. He got the unlimited plan."
Our week culminated with Thanksgiving dinner at Troy's parents' home, with all of his family (minus Dana and Cameron, of course).
In lieu of telling you every amazing moment, I will tell you some things that I was reminded of this week. For starters, family is one of the most important things we have in this life. Our family relationships make up who we are, and they extend into eternity. There is true joy to be found in these relationships, especially if we treat each other well and look for the good in each other. Also, there is nothing more uplifting than witnessing true love in action. It is a refreshing testament to what is really important in life.
As I went through the week, my worldly cares disappeared from my view. I was completely focused on family and the joy that comes from these relationships. As I have arrived home, I find myself not wanting to enter back into the world that I was in when I left. I know I have to, of course. So now I want to figure out a way to keep that joy with me and bring it into my everyday life, instead of leaving it behind. I can't say that I've figured out how to do that, but I am going to try. It makes my daily reflection time take on new importance. Reflecting on the joy I felt this week will give me an opportunity to remember what is important each day. Perhaps by doing that, I will treat my children with more love and kindness, be more patient with my husband, and be more willing to do things for others. If I can do that, I know that I will have more joy in my everyday life.
And so, I jump back into my life today, somewhat reluctantly, but eager to make every day feel a little more like a special day filled with joy and love.
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