1 month down...

Last Saturday marked one month of Hailey’s arrival. Tomorrow marks one month of her graveside service. First of all, it doesn’t feel like it has been a month, but on another aspect, we still have a lifetime to go.



The last little while, I have done a lot of thinking. Thinking of things that have happened, and things to come. When I graduated from High School, I thought I had my whole life planned out… Little did I know that life doesn’t turn out exactly how you plan it. Life is more about following the Lord, and seeing where it takes you in life. The other day as I was cleaning our room, I found a quote from Anita, Brett’s mom. It said, “Well, life is not what we expect all the time; however, I know we have the truth.” She had written this in a letter to Brett when he was on his mission. It wouldn’t have been long after, that she was diagnosed with cancer, but she was right on. We don’t know what is going to happen in life, but we do have the truth, and all we have to do is keep following the plan and being obedient.


Things in life aren’t always necessarily easy, or things that we want to do, but we do them because we know the truth. As I was thinking about this, I started thinking about those that have gone before, especially the pioneers. I’m sure most of them didn’t want to leave everything, or walk thousands of miles, but they did because they knew it was what they needed to do. Our challenges today are different, but we can still have that kind of Faith, and get through hard things because we know the truth. The Gospel is so wonderful and helps us in times of Joy and Sorrow.


As I was looking through a set of my old scriptures, I found a quote by Joseph Fort Newton that said, “We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life, but we can decide what happens to us - how we take it, what we do with it - and that is what really counts in the end. How we take the raw stuff of life and make it a thing of worth and beauty - that is the test of living.” This is very true, and really helped me out significantly. The Lord doesn’t purposefully send things our way, but he does allow things to happen, and he always prepares a way for us. We can’t control the things that happen, but we can control our attitude. Usually hard times are our times to grow spiritually. We can always take a “bad” thing, and turn it into something good. I try to think how the Savior was when he was on the Earth, and his wonderful example of Love.
He loved everyone, those that hated him, and even killed him. Because of His Sacrifice, I am able to use the Atonement and get through anything, and control how I feel about it. He knows how I feel, and everything that I have been through. I am forever indebted to Him for everything He has done, and because of Him, I will get to see my little Hailey again.


It’s so wonderful the knowledge that I have, and this makes life a little bit easier. Each day is getting better, and easier to handle. I still miss Hailey, but I always will. There will always be an ache in my heart here on Earth, but it will be filled again. As of now, I’m just trying to live my life in a way that I will be able to see my little Hailey again. I have one month down, but a lifetime of experiences ahead, and I intend to make the best of them.