Living Now

Its ancient story about a man and a spinning spool.  I recall hearing it years ago and reading it several places, but cannot find the orignal source at the moment...but the man carried it in his pocket for years without using it.  The little golden spool of thread was magic and he hid it.  He could tug at the string and the spool would spin making time speed up at his command.  He resisted the temptation for awhile, but one day he argued with his mother and wished he was older.  He spun the spool.  He found himself alone at college.  He studied and worked hard, but wished he could be finished with his studies.  He spun the spool.  Soon, he wished for a beautiful bride and spun the spool.  Sitting at a quiet dinner table with his wife, he wished for children and spun the spool.  At a cold Christmas gathering, he wished for a warm summer day and spun the spool.  He liked the warm summer months, but wished the children could come back to visit and spun the spool.  He didn't recognize an old gray bearded man in the glass.  He searched the house for his wife and children and only found dusty frames with pictures of grandchildren and events he could not remember.  He hadn't lived his life.  He had speed up time when things got tough or boring.  He didn't know that wishing for something else would leave him with nothing now.  Wishing he could live again, he threw the spool and it spun...

“We cannot see the future with precision, but we can know what the Lord intends and what it will take [for] each of us to qualify personally to participate.”  --Henry B. Eyring

...I have no magic spool.  I cannot make time slow down or speed up.  I was asked the other day at work why I'm such a relaxed parent and why I don't get frazzled about things.  I laughed because in reality I do get frazzled, I do panic, I do wonder how to change myself, but I don't wish for something else.  I don't wish for my babies to be toddlers and I don't wish for an empty nest.  I'm calm and peaceful because I enjoy the moments "now."  I enjoy waking in the middle of the night to feed the baby her bottle.  I enjoy reading books to my son who is learning how to do it for himself.  I love helping my oldest son learn the value of work and working hard.  I live without regrets because I seek to learn from yesterday so that today I can try harder to make happiness and don't count on tomorrow.

There is value in trusting the Lord with all our heart, might, mind and soul.  There is value in having short term and long term goals.  There is value in listening to the Spirit.  There is value in acting on those promptings.

This is why I say "Yes" when children want me to read one more book.  This is why I say "Yes" when someone needs my help.  This is why I say "Yes" to one more push-up.  This is why I say "Yes" to changing another diaper.  This is why I say "Yes" to living and actively participating in my life.