13 April 2011

Mourning a Loss

Welcome to the Neighborhood News


For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:21; 3 Nephi 13:21

I was watching the news and they showed a bit about Japan. They showed people going through the rubble among the destruction of buildings and homes and looking for things they can salvage. They clean them and itemize them, so they can eventually bring the owner and his pictures or other items together again. The gentleman that was giving the interview seemed choked up at some point, while trying to explain why he and his crew (all volunteers) are doing this.
Then they showed a refugee in another area. She’s been displaced from her home, having to leave everything behind to save her life. She said that she hopes that there would be something for her to pass on to future generations when she leaves this life.
We all experience loss at some point in our lives. Sometimes it is very close, like when we lose parents or siblings. Sometimes it is very personal, as when we lose a close friend. Sometimes it is shocking, like when we see others go through a tragedy. In any case, we as people experience mourning.
What makes some people cope better than others?
I believe that in most cases, regardless of our personal religious beliefs, the gospel of Jesus Christ will bring comfort and peace to our souls. He even promised:
                "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4
What strikes me the most about the story I mentioned above is the fact that those people interviewed were talking about things lost. Do we give more importance to the things that will perish, no matter how much we spend trying to make them permanent?
Let me give you an example: I love scrapbooking. I have been doing it for nearly 16 years now. I love the way those books I made for my kids look, showing how wonderfully I manipulated the paper and pictures to showcase a cohesive look.
However, just recently (about a year or so ago) I picked up digital scrapbooking. I learned to use Photoshop, I have a digital camera, and I can do wonders. Do you know what convinced me to make the change? The fact that the companies that sell photographic paper affirm that their paper can hold the images for close to 200 years. Who wouldn’t want that? It’s for posterity, right?
My kids tease me a lot about my pictures and ask to choose between something (whatever) and my pictures. I always pick my pictures. They know how important they are to me. They’ve never asked if I’d choose between them and the pictures.
I hope they know that my family takes priority over anything else in my life.
As always we welcome your comments.


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