EMBRACE

"What day is it?"

"It's today," squeaked Piglet.

"My favorite day," said Pooh.

― A.A. Milne

This year I hope to take page out of Winnie the Pooh's book. I think I'll really need to. After all, in less than two weeks, a journey far beyond the borders of my comfort zone begins. I imagine it will be all too easy to gaze back at that familiar land and long to be there. 

But I don't want to do that. I have already given pining for the future far too much of my time.

If you were offered a fast forward button through life, you would push it? During this past year of missions, I probably would have. In my young, narrow mind, three years may as well have been an eternity. But January 25th approaches, I think I'm ready to discard that mindset. I want to shift into loving life as it is right now. Like Pooh Bear, I want everyday to be my favorite day.

To help me in my goal, I have picked the word EMBRACE as a motto. The dictionary definition of the word is to accept a change willingly and enthusiastically. Perfect. For me, embrace prompts an mental image of picking something up and squeezing it to your chest with a big, cheesy smile that make your eyes squint closed. Perfect. I am going to embrace mission life with a smile until time is up. Then, I will gently, lovingly set it down and welcome into my arms the next stage of life. But until that moment, I want give my time as Sister Abel the biggest, tightest, happiest embrace I can. For that is what it deserves. 

As usual, President Uchtdorf knows what I'm talking about:

Doesn’t it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?

Do we listen to beautiful music waiting for the final note to fade before we allow ourselves to truly enjoy it? No. We listen and connect to the variations of melody, rhythm, and harmony throughout the composition.

Do we say our prayers with only the “amen” or the end in mind? Of course not. We pray to be close to our Heavenly Father, to receive His Spirit and feel His love.

We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote:  “Rejoice and be glad in it.”

I think we could also say, EMBRACE and be glad in it.