Don't grieve over cherries. Enjoy the pineapple and mangoes!

I have had a few friends lose parents recently. I feel for the pain they must be going through.
"Don't grieve over cherries. Enjoy the pineapple and mangoes."  Majorie Hinckely

There are so many things  that we can grieve over, death, divorce, moving, unemployment, infertility, mental illness just to name a few.   It is amazing the lessons we can learn when we are grieving or struggling with something. I will admit I hate struggling or experiencing difficulty, but always when I look back I am amazed with how much I have learned.

So even though the cherries might not be available we can look for the pineapple or mangoes that are in our life.  No matter what we are experiencing,  we can find joy in our life. Sometimes it is hard to find it, but if we look hard enough can find so many blessings.

One thing I know is that we came to this life to receive a body and to progress.  Sometimes we need to go through hard times to learn the lessons we need.  Usually, I don't understand why I need a particular lesson, but I have enough trust in my Heavenly Father to believe that all things truly will work for my good.

Last week a friend and I went over to another friend's home who recently lost her father.  We had  collected money to get a gift for her from people in our neighborhood.  We got  her the Hansen statue, "Toe Dancing (below) and a gift card to take her family and mom out.   We had a wonderful conversation talking about how each of us had lost a parent or both parents.  The spirit was so strong as we shared our pain. In our conversation we each shared some of our experiences with death.  I shared my last evening with my mom before her death.  It happened almost 28 years ago, but I still found myself doing the very ugly cry. The one I try to never do in public.   It amazes me how grief comes in waves.  We each shared  how we have been blessed and influenced by our deceased parents.   I feel so grateful that I have felt both of my parents helping me from the other side. Because frankly, I need all the help I can get.   It is amazing how our grief can bring us closer to one another.   

The one thing I have realized is that   "The only thing constant in life, is change." ink
And maybe, like SO many things. It's just another one of those lessons that we must learn over...and over...and over again.  At least that has been my experience.   

I forgot to mention in my last post that Matt's brother Tony and his wife Kathy came into town on Saturday for a couple of hours from Reno.  I was gone at TOFW so I missed them.  Below is the picture they took together.  Matt said they had a wonderful visit.