"Live the Life You Choose"

"Live the Life you Choose!" A friend recently had those words tatooed on his shoulder. I have reflected since then on the meaning and truth, or lack of truth in this statement. (As an aside: I don't personally like tattoos, but it's his life, and he gets to choose! Ha ha!)

The title of my blog is "Leslie lives life, loves life, and laughs at life." This is true, but I didn't say "Leslie gets to live the life she chooses" because many times in my life it has been proven that I didn't get to make the choice. My husband, my children, or even friends made choices that changed the life I chose. My health has even played a part in the life I live. I do have a choice in how I respond to the life I didn't choose, and therein lies the choice.

I love the story of Corrie Ten Boom. She was the Christian living in Holland whose family hid and helped Jews escape from Hitler's Nazis. Eventually they were taken to concentration camps themselves. Corrie and her sister Betsie were interred together at Ravensbruck one of the most insidious and cruel camps. As I remember her telling the story in her book THE HIDING PLACE she was incredulous that her sister would thank God in her prayers for the lice and other vermin in their prisons, but her sister explained that the rats and lice kept the guards away. I so admire and try to follow Betsie's example in how to live the life she was given. Corrie and Betsie made righteous choices and lived exemplary lives, but they didn't choose the life they were living.

I believe we can dream, make goals, and live a better life. What would our life be without striving for things that would improve us, or lift us up? It is important, also, to "Live your life that you have no regrets." How important is that? Love One Another is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of living a life with no regrets. Reach out to those in need, don't hurt those you love, and if you do....rectify your life, get right with them and with God so there is no regret.

As I see it, the purpose of this earth life is to receive a body, to be challenged with trials, and to have the agency to choose how we respond to those trials. Maybe there was a time in the pre-existence that we were made aware of some of the difficulties we would face, but none of us were given a life free of sorrow and pain. With the Lord's guidance and love we can learn from our trials, endure, and return to our Father in Heaven able to be proud of the life we lived.

We do need to love ourselves. I think we forget sometimes that the Lord says "Love your neighbor, as you love yourself". Very clearly we can't do one without the other. I have heard, though, that we live in the "me generation", in a "horizontal society" rather than a "vertical society". That means rather than looking to God for the best answers.... we look to ourselves and our peers. "If it feels good, do it." or "What makes ME feel good?", "What's in it for ME?" Kind of a selfish view, more or less. Is that the way God intended us to live?

So, I like the way it sounds "Live the Life You Choose" and I'm sure my friend meant it in the very best way, but I hope while he is living the life he chooses, he remembers there are other people living it with him. He always did live an exceptionally unselfish life. I hope his new declaration doesn't change that, and that he will continue living a life with no regrets.

I know the life I am living right now is definitely not the life I chose. I chose to marry the man I loved and have an eternal family. Things didn't work out, so I am not living the life I choose. I am choosing to live the best I can with the life I have.

What are your thoughts?

How could it be June already?

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older, but time is passing so quickly! I have commented to many people that it just seems like we celebrated Christmas and it is summertime. Surprisingly, I found a Dr. Seuss quote that sums it up pretty well.

"How did it get so late so soon?

Its night before it's afternoon.

December is here before its June.

My goodness how the time has flewn.

How did it get so late so soon?"

There are so many things to do, so few hours in a day, and so few days in a week to complete them. At this rate I will have to live a great many more years to accomplish all my hopes, dreams, and goals.......oh, and to get my closet cleaned!!!!

Single and Mingling!

It has been three months since the divorce....should read THE DIVORCE......was final. We all know how hard it has been on me since I have blogged about it. While my heart struggles, my head knows I need to move on. With friends, faith, family, and the church I am putting everything into trying to make the best of this next stage of my life.

Last weekend I attended my first Singles Conference. It was awesome!!!! I am going to put the letter I received from the Regional Singles Representative and my reply. Then I will post some pictures and it will give a glimpse into our great time.

Scott BennionRegional Single Adult AdvisorSan Diego Latter-day Saint Single Adults

Dear Leslie,

Thank you for coming to our conference. Now that the chairs have been put away and the kitchen cleaned and everyone has gone back to their lives, the thing that remains are the lives that we touched.

There exists within each of us a divine spark, a spark that sometimes seems dulled by the day to day clutter of our lives. But this weekend together we shined. Possibly without being aware, just by attending you lifted those around you. As you go back to your day to day life, remember Dr. Eyre's message about balance in your life. Remember the skills you learned in the workshops. Remember how quiet it was during the Sacrament, and how you felt when President Donaldson spoke of Jerusalem. Remember through adversity Jack Rollins drew closer to Lord, and how you felt when we sang "Did You Think To Pray". Remember we are a covenant people. Our Temple President and his wife represent the best in all of us.

Most of all remember that, in just a few months, our Labor Day Conference is going to knock your sox off!

Scott Bennion

My reply:

Scott.........or should I call you Brother Bennion, (after last weekend I feel like I know you better than that!)

Thank you, Thank you! I am not surprised to receive this follow-up letter, but I am impressed.

I am a newly single person....my divorce was final in February after a 42 year marriage. (I am definitely not where I thought I would be at this time of my life) I have heard single sisters over the years comment about how difficult their role was in the church, how they felt "less than" in a religion that is so focused on marriage and family.

I have not found this to be true, at all. This weekend profoundly proved how valued we all are within the church's embrace. The time, effort, thought, concern, money, and more time that was expended on our behalf was amazing!!!!

The speakers were of such a high caliber and spoke expressly to us with our concerns, with our individual adversities, and to help us reach our own potential. The activities brought us together and made everyone "shine" as you said. Incredible!

As a 61 year old woman I felt included with single brothers and sisters of all ages. There was no visible dividing line saying "I'm young/Your old!" Quite the opposite, I had several younger people saying they were glad we had the opportunity to co-mingle.

Everyone was awesome. You, Scott Bennion, touched me personally, and therefore I know you touched others personally as well. You were at that registration table with a big smile when we checked in. Your soft yet strong voice and demeanor made every situation spiritual and calm. Yet your sense of humor came through for sure. Loved the poster you made for my friend Lila! By the way thanks for the pictures! Again, one more way you showed how you personally valued each of us. I know you had to have stayed up all night to get those to us...................thanks!!!

I will so remember all the things you mentioned and SO much more! Thanks to you and everyone involved. Looking forward to the next one!!!

PS Sorry so long....can you tell I'm enthusiastic?!