Happiness In Perspective

Dear family,

I’ve decided that happiness is all in a person’s perspective: we’ve experienced no earthquakes, forest fires or tornadoes, so that makes it a good autumn! We’ve been busy with work, callings, house and yard upkeep, medical checkups and the like, but gratefully our lives are pretty humdrum. When the most interesting tidbit you can think of is your “pet” 5-point deer who stretches out on the lawn within 20 feet of the patio sliding-glass door on a frequent basis, it certainly means that life is blessedly uneventful.

Come to think of it, there were a few unique events in October. Bruce made a quick trip to Vancouver, B.C. researching ideas for transportation oriented developments (TOD), one of which they are working on at a Trax stop in Sandy. They are also exploring the idea of building another 22-story office tower, this one to be connected with a Broadway-style theater proposed for downtown. It makes me smile; their first building had the address of 222 S. Main St.; if/when this one is built, it will be 111 S. Main St.

We also went to dinner with a couple we had known from Elgin, IL who subsequently moved to Texas. They were in Utah visiting their recently-returned RM son and scouting out the area—Provo—where their next son has just been called to serve a mission. The remarkable thing about this encounter is that this was a long-time inactive man who had divorced his wife to marry his secretary. Bruce was the home teacher and then the bishop who worked to help the family step back on the path of happiness. With time and effort, the wife was baptized, the brother was revitalized, and they were sealed to their younger children who have embraced the gospel. Now some years later, this brother is currently the ward mission leader and working to help reactivate others who have wandered away. What a blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is to all who choose to live His way!

One Saturday Bruce convinced me to drag myself away from the magnet called the computer—there is always so much that needs to be doing!—to go for a “short walk” with him up in the hills. It was a gorgeous autumn day; the hills were ablaze with red maples, rusty orange oaks and bright yellow aspens mingled with deep-green pine trees. We climbed high enough to see over the whole area, from the streets of Salt Lake City and the already-snowy slopes of Mt. Olympus to the south, on out over the Great Salt Lake and craggy islands to maybe Nevada on the west, and mountain piled on mountain all the way north to Idaho, I’m sure! As we sat on a rock and ate our apples, cheese sticks and crackers snack in the cool breeze and warm sun, it was also food for the soul to hear and see the beauty of God’s creations and to breathe in the smells of nature. Funny, but I didn’t even care that our planned respite had turned into a several-hour experience.

It happened to be hunting season, too; we passed one small group returning from a successful morning foray, backpacks hanging heavy with meat on all and an antlered carcass slung over the shoulders of one blood-stained but friendly fellow. Another hunter garbed in neon orange vest trudged silently past us up the mountain, gun hanging loosely in one hand. We were a little uneasy when we realized that without orange vests, we could possibly be seen as targets from a distance. Later, we heart a shot reverberate from a short distance away and could follow the hunters’ search for their downed prey with our binoculars. My hope was that with the powerful scopes on their rifles, they would spot us as humans that didn’t taste very good before they took a pot-shot at our moving shapes.

This year we had one of the most fun Halloween nights I’ve had since the kids grew too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating. We were invited to go with friends to a local theater to see an original musical production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The playwright had taken lots of liberty with the story, but it only enhanced the interest; there were several excellent voices and the music actually had some hum-able tunes. Before we left for the theater, we hadn’t had one trick-or-treater; I ended up putting all the candy in a great big bowl, attaching a sign that said “Choose 3” and leaving it on the porch between two big pumpkins with electrically-lit grins. By the time we got home the bowl was completely empty. Whether the first ones to come emptied the loot into their pillowcases and absconded with it all, or whether all who came took a few, we don’t know, but I was glad to have it all disappear somewhere rather than my mouth!

Yesterday we went to the musical “My Fair Lady” as part of a business group’s event and enjoyed the family-friendly fare. In talking with the executive producers of the theater, we learned that even though roughly half of the actors for any given show are gay (and most are LDS), the theater maintains a strict code of conduct that keeps everyone safe and comfortable. They shared a few success stories about some of the young people who have been influenced to change their lifestyles and return to enjoy the blessings of the Gospel. The world at large is an increasingly challenging environment in which to live a pure life, and we absolutely must teach our children the difference between right and wrong and help them develop a conviction that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is the only way to truly be happy.

For the past month or so I’ve had the privilege of visiting lots of wards to observe their Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentations. It has been absolutely remarkable to witness the children’s responses and testimonies, some borne in word and others through music. Thank you to each of you parents who are actively teaching the gospel in your homes through your actions as well as your words. Thank you to each of you wonderful workers in the Kingdom as you share your love of God and each other through your service and ministering to others. It is reassuring and strengthening to know that each of you in your own corner of the world is making that place better by your example.

We love you and pray for each of you, wherever you are in the world!

With gratitude,
(Aunt) Jean & (Uncle) Bruce