Gratitude

My heart has been feeling a little heavy the last couple of days. Feeling some "after company blues"since my mom and sister left and now with the devastation in Japan, I am feeling very melancholy. It just didn't seem right as I was busy whipping up pancakes and eggs for dinner tonight that there is so much suffering going on simultaneously. It all of a sudden puts things quickly into perspective when something like this happens and you realize the absolute frailty of life.
As we gathered our kids around tonight for some reading and then family prayer, I was just so extremely grateful for my testimony of the meaning of life and for my knowledge of eternal families. My job as a mother suddenly became the most important thing in the world to me. Sometimes I forget that.
I am so blessed. I am so thankful for what I have and for what I know to be true. Life is too precious to waste any time feeling angry, being critical, saying unkind words, doing anything that detracts from having joy in our lives. Today I recommit myself to being better, loving more, and making the most of every minute of every day. We never know when the storms of life will hit our own family. Preparation starts within.