I've been thinking a little bit these days about an old friend of mine, Taylor VanBibber. He's on a mission right now in Alaska (poor soul). I've been thinking about his farewell address. A lot of friends are going on missions these days, and they were friends with him and yada yada it all ties back around somehow so that's why blah blah anyways.
He talked about an interesting concept. We're all told to endure to the end. ETTE! It's ok! Things will get better! Just get through it right now. He introduced a new idea. Instead of enduring to the end, we ought to enjoy to the end. ETTE still works, see? Acronyms are important.
I've seen this a lot lately. People telling each other it's ok, it'll get better. People saying "Ugh, can't wait until ____..." or basing their happiness on an event that hasn't happened yet. But once that happens, they'll be happy.
I'll be happy when I get into school. I'll be happy when I find a boyfriend. I'll be happy when he finally proposes. I'll be happy once we get married. Just 82 more days, and I'll be happy. I'll be happy when we have a baby. I'll be happy when this baby stops crying every single night. I'll be happy when we get another precious little angel. I'll be happy when it stops crying every night too.
And so people are rushing through their lives. They're taking life as a marathon. Pushing against the wall that is life and fighting against it, forcing their way forward, saying they'll be happy when they finish it all.
I worry that they may not find that happiness until they're on the other side of the grave.
So I urge everyone, all four of you or something who read this blog.... Really, truly, take time to stop and smell the roses.
Yeah, I'll be happy when it stops snowing and the slush gets off the sidewalks and the sun warms up this cold place again. But right now, it's fun to stomp in the slush puddles and get it all over. It's fun to push each other into the snow.
Yes, I'll be happy when I graduate from college and don't have to stay up all night cutting out 1000 flash cards. But I'm also happy that I'm at school. I'm happy for my crazy friends. I'm happy for the independence and responsibility I feel when I get myself up on time in the morning and get myself to work or school or institute or field practicum or exams or what have you. I'm happy because I have classes that I love and friends that I love and classes that I hate and no friends that I hate, but you get my point.
I hated being single for that first year and a half of college. But I loved that I could flirt shamelessly and, well, feel no shame. And I loved spending time with my wonderful friends. I didn't need no man if I had my girls. They weren't a trial to be endured, they were a blessing to be enjoyed, and they still are.
And now, I've been engaged for two months, and I'm so ready to be done with this and just be married already. Wedding planning to be done.... being able to see my best friend every day....
But I love courting him. I love how awesome Skype has become in the recent days, and how that little Skype tone makes my day. I love enjoying our time together without worrying about all that comes with marriage. I loved being a girlfriend, and I love being a fianceé too. Getting to know him. Having fun. In the mind of everyone in the entire world, we haven't dated THAT long. 7 months... In Utah mind it has been a while. But taking that while was one of the greatest decisions we ever made, and the memories we made along with it will be looked upon fondly.
And I will love being married to him and being a couple for a time while we finish school and get to know each other as a spouse before we invite any little Bécars down from heaven to join us. The time alone with each other will be a blessing to be enjoyed, not endured.
Life isn't to be endured.
Life is for blasting Hey Jude like... 50 times in a row, singing at to tops of your lungs.
Life is for learning all the lyrics to American Pie and playing them on the uke while he plays them on the guitar.
Life is for letting people steal your camera just to see the pictures you get out of it.
Life is for getting a truly awful book and putting up with reading all the way through it because you said you would.
Life is for laughing at your loved ones who slipped on the ice and picking them back up and brushing them off.
Life is for sweating hard in the sun and feeling the sunscreen smart your skin and working your butt off because you know you chose to be there, and it'll pay off in the end. And even if it doesn't, there's something satisfying about marching so long you wonder if your feet will work again, and planking so hard you feel like you're going to vomit.
Life is about running from your car to your house in the rain and starting to fret about what it'll do to your hair, and then realizing that it doesn't matter, because the people who'd care don't matter, and the people who matter don't care.
Life is about sleeping through your alarm and being more grateful for the few minutes of sleep you got than being worried about the few minutes tardy you will be to class.
It turns out, a lot of the stuff we worry about in life don't matter. And that the things we do worry about are actually kinda wonderful. And that the things we drag our feet through are actually enjoyable moments. Maybe it's not mud you're dragging yourself through, maybe it's chocolate. And even if you taste it and it turns out to be mud, at least it's a little hilarious that you ate mud. Haha... nerd....
So come on everyone. Come with me. Enjoy to the end.
What was one beautiful/funny/awesome thing that happened today? What about yesterday? And the day before? And what will you look out for tomorrow!
1 comment:
I love this!! I needed it today. Thanks for being awesome.
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