Right Now

Earlier today, I started an entirely different post.  It has come to our attention that Spell Girl has a "not so secret" crush on Justin Bieber.  And thanks to Presidents Lincoln and Washington, we are having yet another "no school day."  So it seemed like a great idea to take the girls to see the new Justin Bieber movie this afternoon.  I did not have high expectations.  I went with a friend who also has lots of girls and we both intended to be mostly chauffers and chaperones.   But it was surprisingly motivating and uplifting!  Granted, it was a little like sitting through a two hour commercial, and I was completely distracted throughout the whole thing because I kept worrying that Justin's pants were going to fall down while he was dancing!  (Why do they wear them SO LOW!!  How can that possibly be comfortable??)  But after it was over, I was inspired to Never Say Never, too!  I'm sure if I had tried to climb Mt. Everest at that exact moment when the movie let out, I would have been wildly successful!  The movie was a complete and total rush of "feel good."   But now that it's 6 hours later, reality has set back in and I can see that Justin Bieber is probably not the best use of my posting time.  In a week, I won't even remember seeing that movie and I'll wonder why I wrote an entire post about him.  So that's it for the Justin accolades...he's cute, but in the grand scheme of things, just a flash in the pan. 

 
on to the REAL POST... 


I made a new friend over the weekend in the most unconventional way.  She is in her 70s, I think.  She and her husband have served THREE proselyting missions including one to AFRICA!!  I heard her give a talk in the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference two weeks ago, and I was instantly drawn to her.  She's strong, smart, independent and faithful.  On Sunday, during the broadcast session of Stake Conference, we sat right behind her.  So I was bold and tapped her on the shoulder and told her how much I enjoyed her talk.  She was very sweet, but the encounter was brief and I didn't think about her much more after that.  Then last Friday, I went to the Temple and there she was again.  (I recognized her, but I did not realize who it was until Saturday afternoon when she was one of the keynote speakers at our Stake RS Conference!)  Have I mentioned that I don't believe in coincidences?  I believe very strongly that things happen for a reason.  And that we cross paths with people for a very specific purpose.  When the same person crosses my path 4 times within a two week period, I have learned to  pay attention.  She gave an incredible lesson on Saturday, that I was once again instantly drawn to.  And while she spoke, I thought, "You need to get to know this woman!"  So after the conference, I went up to her and introduced myself.  (insert stalker personality here)  We talked briefly and exchanged email addresses.  That very night I had an email from her saying how excited she was to get to know me.


She sent me another email this morning asking me to tell her my "life story" so that we could get to know each other better.  There were a few pertinent questions to use as a basic outline, but the details were left completely up to me.  I have spent most of the day either pondering my response or writing it.  How do you make an adequate first impression in an email?  And without those necessary social cues of a face to face conversation, how do you know when you've talked for too long?...when she's tired of reading?...when you're going into things that she didn't really want to know in the first place??  ugh! 

The exercise of writing that email, though, made me think...
I have done A LOT of stuff.  I have lived in A LOT of different places.  I have had A LOT of callings in the church.  I have met A LOT of different people.  But there isn't a time that I would rewind or fast forward to that I would enjoy more than RIGHT NOW.  My kids are at the perfect age (self sufficient, but not completely independent.)  I have time during the day that is completely mine to fill with whatever I choose to fill it with...and I have made good choices.  I have a stronger testimony than I have ever had before.  I feel confident and content.  I don't envy the stuff other people have.  I don't have grudges or regrets.  I don't wish I were living a different life.  I don't wonder if I was supposed to be more than what I currently am.  It's a nice feeling...unusual and unique, but very, very nice to finally have after 40 years.   RIGHT NOW is exactly where I want to be.  I look forward to the future with hope and joyful anticipation, but I don't long for it.  I know there will be amazing things in those years to come, but RIGHT NOW is pretty darn amazing, too.


So, tonight, I love my new friend for helping me see the joy in RIGHT NOW.  


And I might secretly love Justin Bieber, too...for a couple more days.