another book...another lesson

One of the best ways for me to decide whether or not I loved a book is the way it leaves me feeling...so I cannot help but love Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. Perhaps not the best of times to finishing reading, it's either the tears from the story or the outside air that is keeping my nose stuffed up. Whatever the case, I find myself in a very thoughtful mood.

What can I say and how can I say it to express how much I took from this book. It's a beautiful story that taught me about life, love, and courage. It actually reminded me a lot of "These Is My Words", but written in a completely different setting...the harshness of the Canadian Northwest country.

"Mike was right: the pattern of life isn't a straight line; it crosses and recrosses, drawing in and tying together other lives, as I do when I gather in the ends of my thread to make a knot."

One of the several messages from the book that stuck out at me was how our lives are intertwined and connected to each others for a moment or even a lifetime, and in those comings and goings we can't help but make an impact and change each others lives forever. It's a strange concept, especially in these times where a wireless connection brings individuals together that may never have met otherwise and they touch our lives. Inspire. Teach. Serve. Give us what we need at a particular time when we are desperate for it and then they move on. Sometimes they stay and we have the pleasure of enjoying their wisdom for years to come, other times we are left with having been blessed with them in our lives if only for a moment.

I often wonder in the premortal life if I had friends that I promised I would find or if I begged them to find me knowing they had a piece of my puzzle I couldn't do without. I do not doubt the wisdom of a loving Heavenly Father who brings us those we need when we need them. It makes me realize I could be that for someone and while dripping in my selfishness someone else gets the blessing of friendship. I want to be better as I know I have only me to blame for missing an opportunity. I know I can be better at fulfilling my purpose, whatever it is, I know not, but I do know it's understanding doesn't come until after I've tried. I must first do.



Life and the way we are thrown about from place to place, from emotion to emotion is a beautiful thing if only we can see perspective. All things relative to where we're headed and where we want to end up. Life, our experiences, often have that way of throwing us off course, but the path is always there for us to resume when we realize we've always had what we've always wanted, and our friends are there walking us back, hand in hand, reminding us how much we are loved and needed.

Today I am grateful for friends.