Finding Joy in the journey

I loved Pres. Monson's talk in this last October conference entitled 'finding joy in the journey" and this morning I was reading it again. It came back to mind as I sat in Relief Society and listened to the announcements which included the status of several ward members who are very sick and nearing the end of their lives (one of which being my Aunt). It made me think how important it is to really enjoy every minute that we have. I have selected a couple quotes from the talk that I especially liked but I recommend reading the whole thing here.

"If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know.

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed."

I am grateful for my life and to all of you who have been an influence in my journey. Please know how much I love and appreciate you.