I got an epiphany the other night while watching television. Hmmm… now that is a funny statement if I’ve ever heard one…
Anyway, there was an elderly patient who was trying to convince his family that he needed to undergo a risky operation which seemed voluntary and unnecessary, but would “improve his quality of life”.
In talking with his family, the man said something to this effect (paraphrasing here),
“You don’t know what it is like for someone my age. I have already crossed all the milestones in my life: graduation, marriage, becoming a father, career, watching my kids grow up, becoming a grandparent… I look back and see so many yesterdays, and I don’t have very many tomorrows.”
Now, I do believe that no matter how old you are, there are many reasons to be excited for the future. Even so, there are those monumental milestones that nearly everyone achieves throughout his or her life. Once they are done, they are done. And all that’s left are the memories.
As I listened to the dialogue on television I thought, “Why am I rushing these milestones?”
All my life, I have always been waiting for the ‘next big thing’: graduation, marriage, graduation (again), career, and most of all CHILDREN. My eyes are fixed on the future, and don’t look around too much to enjoy the present.
The day will come that I will have children. By whatever means, I believe it will happen. Once that beautiful child is placed in my arms, I will have crossed that milestone. And things will never be the same again.
So while I wait with baited breath for that day to arrive, I try to remind myself to be patient. I don’t want to look back at my life and feel I rushed from event to event, without enjoying the journey I traveled to get there.
Anyway, there was an elderly patient who was trying to convince his family that he needed to undergo a risky operation which seemed voluntary and unnecessary, but would “improve his quality of life”.
In talking with his family, the man said something to this effect (paraphrasing here),
“You don’t know what it is like for someone my age. I have already crossed all the milestones in my life: graduation, marriage, becoming a father, career, watching my kids grow up, becoming a grandparent… I look back and see so many yesterdays, and I don’t have very many tomorrows.”
Now, I do believe that no matter how old you are, there are many reasons to be excited for the future. Even so, there are those monumental milestones that nearly everyone achieves throughout his or her life. Once they are done, they are done. And all that’s left are the memories.
As I listened to the dialogue on television I thought, “Why am I rushing these milestones?”
All my life, I have always been waiting for the ‘next big thing’: graduation, marriage, graduation (again), career, and most of all CHILDREN. My eyes are fixed on the future, and don’t look around too much to enjoy the present.
The day will come that I will have children. By whatever means, I believe it will happen. Once that beautiful child is placed in my arms, I will have crossed that milestone. And things will never be the same again.
So while I wait with baited breath for that day to arrive, I try to remind myself to be patient. I don’t want to look back at my life and feel I rushed from event to event, without enjoying the journey I traveled to get there.
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You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.
-Gordon B Hinkley
5 comments:
beautiful post. i agree, and though we prayed and worked so very hard and suffered so much for this baby I am carrying, a small part of me is starting to mourn the private time that hubby and I have now, that will be gone. Don't get me wrong, I am estatic....but every milestone that passes cannot be crossed again :)
thank you.
I have always been that way too...waiting for the next thing to come. I have really been trying to change my focus lately and enjoy the journey instead of rushing the journey along. It's a work in progress. :)
I love that quote by Pres. Hinckley.
Hmmmm- LOVE this!! You always seem to know exactly what I need to hear! I have been trying to do this....it's so hard to enjoy milestones with crazy infertility drugs though! Ha!! Thank you for the reality check though.
On another note THANK YOU for the shout out and posting my analogy. That was a very pleasant suprise!!!
Hi,
I have an LDS Infertility blog, if you would like to check it out-
http://ldsinfertility.blogspot.com/
Wasn't that episode of Grey's great? What an awesome post you made from it!
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