Conference Talk Friday

I have such wonderful memories of this talk by President Monson at the close of the Sunday morning session of last conference.  We took Bug to her first session of conference at the Conference Center.  I woke up at 6 a.m. to get Bug, BJ and myself "church ready" then woke up the other two and got them ready to go to Auntie Kara's house.  We packed a backpack full of various toys and snacks so Guy and Belle wouldn't take their boredom out on her darling house (even though, as it turned out, they spent two hours trying on Kara's hats and boots . . . monster boots!) We arrived at Kara's house more than an hour before we needed to be to the Conference Center, dropped off two kids, and headed to conference.  By this point, I needed a nap and was, to be brutally honest, not feeling the "joy of the journey".  

As I listed to Presdient Monson promise me that one day my house would be empty and there would be no more children to dress, feed, and love, I completely lost it.  How could I wish away one moment of this precious and short time with my children?  Talk about a wake up call.  I couldn't clean the fingerprints off of the library door upstairs for a week.  What if no one ever put fingerprints on the door again?!  (don't worry, Mom, they were cleaned . . . eventually!)

President Monson's message was primarily aimed to young mothers like myself, who are still "in the trenches," so to speak.  But his words could apply to all of us.  How often do we hear (or think) 'as soon as I get married, I'll be happy' or 'as soon as we buy a bigger house, I'll be happy' or 'as soon as we retire, I'll be happy'?  Happiness is a daily decision, not a product of our personal circumstances.  (Note to self: really try to live this principle!)  No matter what our situation in life, let's all resolve to today to be happy with all the wonderful blessings we have, especially in the throws of January blahs!