Adventure #32: (Delayed) Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day - Take 2

"A friend is someone who, upon seeing another friend in immense pain, would rather be the one experiencing the pain, than to have to watch their friend suffer."

This was something I planned on posting this nearly 3 weeks ago on Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day. But that - as is apparent - did not happen. So here we are. And I've brought to here to talk about three kinds of people.

First, there are people who treat Stop and Smell the Roses Day as I explained it here. This is how I view the day and how I think it should be treated. Make life less complicated and show gratitude for what we have. The other treatments are not wrong - but to get the most out of the holiday, this is the best route.

Next, there are people who take it literally: Stop. Smell a rose or two. Move on. Done. I approve and you guys make me chuckle.

Lastly, there are those who treat it as a day to do nothing. Until this year's experience, I have argued that this is not how it works. Don't do nothing. However, when a migraine hit and I was down for the count, nothing was exactly what I wanted and exactly what happened.

For the first half of the day, I was barely conscious because when I was awake the nausea hit. So I avoided that. When I was finally aware, I texted MFK to save me from further pain by bringing me some Pepsi, for which I will always be grateful. Once she arrived, the rest of the day was spent watching Stargate.

So for the first time, I did nothing on Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day. I will never again say that doing nothing is against the rules. It was in not having things to do that gave me the opportunity to be sick without added stress. And all things considered, celebrating the day by watching Stargate with MFK was the best way.

Adventure #31: Endings

"There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings. Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Read the quote above.


Read it again.


Read it 3 more times.


Memorize it.


You got it? Me too. Brilliant, isn't it?

I've spent portions of my life arguing with myself...Why do you have such a problem with change? No one else seems to have such issues... I'd asked myself when I faced any good-bye, any move, or any interruption to my life. I'll admit that description makes me sound OCD but I hope I've portrayed the right idea. My mistake then is viewing all of these events as endings.

If I had been paying better attention, I could have learned the lesson of eternity stuff much sooner. When I was facing one of these aforementioned good-byes, I turned to my scriptures and found this:

"And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2)

Even with that being exactly what I wanted to hear, I held on to the doubts that I felt. I continued to emotionally fight change. So the review this weekend during Conference then was absolutely called for. In fact, of all that I could learn in my life, this is the most important - we are made of the stuff of eternity.

And, that leaves me with one more thought: living worthy of eternity. My goal now more than ever is to make my life worth an eternal chance. Using the comfort and direction of President Uchtdorf's words, I may just have a chance. I choose to live up to my potential.