The best investments

I look forward to Sundays.  I think it may be my favorite day of the week. 
It's set aside as a day of worship, service, and reflection. 
It's also a day when I write my blog.

Knowing Sundays are always just around the corner, I often find myself during the week thinking about what I want to share with you -- my family and friends -- that might be meaningful in some way.  This blog was born out of a desire to keep you abreast of my activities here in Finland.  It seemed an efficient way of doing so in a timely fashion.  It also serves as a nice personal record. 

 

As time has gone on, the sense of responsibility to not just report on weekly events, but, rather, to connect them to important life lessons has deepened.  As the week unfolds, I often think about what I plan to post on Sunday. What are the experiences I want to share that would be meaningful?  What are the lessons I've learned that could be helpful?  What new insights or discoveries have I made that might resonate with others? And then this big question:
What is the thread that ties all of these pieces together?

 

It's work trying to answer this last question because in doing so it, of necessity, leads to foregrounding particular experiences, insights, and lessons; and, consequently, others are backgrounded or left out altogether. 
(At this point, I can hear a collective:

AHHH!!  That's so painful!!  :)

The freedom to choose is a gift. The responsibility to do so is, at times, P. A. I. N. F. U. L. 

So, with that in mind, let me begin this week's post.  :)
 

I'm working my way through The Screwtape Letters.  This week my mind hasn't been able to shake this quote:

 

"For as things are, your man has now discovered the dangerous truth that these attacks [on our weaknesses] don't last forever; consequently you cannot use again what is, after all,
our best weapon--the belief of ignorant humans that there is no hope of getting rid of us
except by yielding" (C.S. Lewis, 1961: 90-91).

 

Perhaps one of the greatest struggles we face is fear.  Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. Fear of being wrong.  Fear of  being right.  Fear of success.  Fear of inability.  Fear of ability. The list goes on.  At times, I'm inclined to give in to my fears rather than to face them head on.  It's at these junctures that the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson come to mind:

 

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do,
not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”

 

 One of the best investments we can make, then, is to persist in doing that which we've been asked to do.  In so doing, the nature of that task/responsibility/mission we've been given/accepted hasn't changed, but our power to do and accomplish is increased.

 

This week I've witnessed the fruits that are born from persevering (in the face of fear, doubt, and great struggle) through several experiences.  Here are just a few:

 

Katja, my first officemate at JYU, returned to JKL for a week to dance in a celebration marking the 100 year anniversary of a Finnish folk dance association of which she's a member.  Days, weeks, months, and years of practices, rehearsals, and performances paved the way for her to participate in such an event.  (I could write an entire post on the story behind Katja making her way across thousands of kilometers to pursue a long-held dream that has now become her reality.)

 

Katja, Sini (my second officemate), and me.  We grabbed lunch together.  That was the best investment I could have made with the time I had that day. 

 My professor and her family hosted a birthday party for Irene, the daughter of one of the visiting scholars who is here for the fall term.  Sari's family has mastered hosting a party.  Each member of the family is responsible for part of the meal.  They have this down to an art!!

Pekka and Sari spent many, MANY weeks renovating their house over the summer. (Sari describes their house as 'a never ending project'; Pekka said the house is a metaphor for marriage.  So beautiful!!)   Sari said, "While no one would ever know how much time, effort, sweat, and work went into this, we know."  I enjoyed the benefits of their labor.  The house is stunning!

 

Pekka is here holding in his hands a piece of Panda chocolate wrapped in a Finnish flag.  It's one of Panda's most popular chocolates:

 

 

  I learned that Pekka took the picture of the flag that is used on the wrapper.  Every time he unwraps one of these chocolates, he is reminded of how his work and efforts have materialized into something iconic (and enjoyed by countless people around the world...some of you guys included!!).

Meet "Spiderella".  She's the brain child of Kirsti.  Kirsti's been planning Katie's birthday party for as long as I've been here (which is coming up on 2 months now).  Spiderella was one of several guests as Katie's party.

This ghost was another guest.  It was raining so Kirsti wasn't sure if she would actually be able to have the ghost outside because she needed a sheet that could get dirty.  Persistence paid off, though!  She found one just in time to welcome... 

the girls!  :)  And they were true sports--racing through the rain to find the pieces of their skeletons as part of a scavenger hunt.

The sister missionaries were over on Saturday to help with the trick or treating portion of the blended Katie's bday/Halloween party.  I was wearing a Sorenson VRS t-shirt and Sister Cribbs (who's from the Salt Lake City area) asked if I had worked for them.  Long story short...she worked for Jason Dunn at one of Sorenson's subsidiaries.  She and Jason were next door neighbors so her brothers and Jason played countless pick up basketball games in the Cribbs' driveway. 

 

Jason and I go WAY back to the very beginning of my Sorenson days.  It seems like it was a lifetime ago, and yet like it was just yesterday.
I spent the duration of the evening reflecting on that 8 year chapter.  I would have missed out on so many incredible experiences (including personal and professional growth) had I given into my fears that I was too [fill in the blank] to be a part of the team.  I still can't believe that we were given the liberty to try out all of our crazy (awesome!) ideas and that many of them actually worked.  :)  (Britany, Robyn, Chanda, Julie Raz., Rebecca, Dena, Michael, and countless others--thank you!!)
Wow.
  (I guess one of the benefits of aging is that it gives you a deeper appreciation for the opportunities that you've been given.)

Although the stacks of journals and notebooks might indicate otherwise, I'm not a fan of writing. 
Yet I somehow chose a career path that demands lots of it.  Hmm...  And, despite what the time reads when my alarm clock rings, I'm not an early morning person.  One night this week, though, I committed to retiring early (read: earlier than normal).  The next morning I awoke to a faint thought about the current article I'm writing (and struggling with).  Rather than hitting 'snooze' on that thought, I grabbed my researcher notebook and a pen and started to write.  That will be an experience I will long remember.  The nature of the work hasn't change, but my ability to perform it has increased as I've continued to work at it.

 

Another benefit of aging is the opportunity to use reading glasses.  Yes, indeed.  I bought my first pair of prescription reading glasses this year.  Best financial investment.  By far.  I carry them with  me everywhere I go.

(Please also note the background is a throw blanket of none other than the Texas flag.  That was another best investment more than a decade ago!)

 

Today was the annual Primary sacrament meeting program at church.  The children (ages 3-11) in shared their thoughts and testimonies about God, Jesus Christ, and their families through short talks and music.  I accompanied Katie and three others in a quartet they sang and also was able to play for the children's choir.  One of the songs they sung (A Child's Prayer) was the song that my family sang on our last Sunday in Pleasant Grove, UT, before we moved to San Antonio in 1992.  I accompanied my family on the piano.  (That was FAR less scary than actually singing!!)  As I played for the Primary today, I kept thinking, "As terrifying as it was to play for my family back then, it was the best investment I could have made.  It was one of the first experiences that set me on a course that prepared me to play for these kids today in Finland."  The kids sang with great faith and enthusiasm.

 

 

 

I couldn't wait for the Skype dates set up with three very dear friends.  Marilyn, Aubree, and the Valenzuela-Pimentel family.  Each of these friends continue to overcome tremendous obstacles to pursue their dreams.  They each draw great strength from laughing (a lot!) and not taking themselves (or others) too seriously.

 

 

On Friday I received word that Marilyn's grandmother had passed away.  Marilyn's grandfather has been caring for Hilda for nearly two decades after (literally) nursing her back to health when the doctors said her days were numbered in the dozens.  The love, respect, and gentleness with which Juan has cared for Hilda is angelic.  Really.  I marvel at the love that they have for each other.  I'm grateful for their examples of living in such a way that they have very few regrets.  They've left a legacy of selfless sacrifice, love, and compassion. 

 

I'll end with these words from Deiter Uchtdorf:

 

"One day we will take that unavoidable step and cross from this mortal sphere into the next estate. One day we will look back at our lives and wonder if we could have been better, made better decisions, or used our time more wisely.

To avoid some of the deepest regrets of life, it would be wise to make some resolutions today. Therefore, let us:      

-Resolve to spend more time with those we love.

-Resolve to strive more earnestly to become the person God wants us to be.

-Resolve to find happiness, regardless of our circumstances."

 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions

 

These are among the best investments we can make.