A couple of weeks ago I was invited to attend a "show and tell" hosted by the women's group (called Relief Society) of my church.
Initially, I resolved that I would not attend. Not because I'm anti-social. That's probably the farthest descriptor anyone could choose to use for me. I evaluated the activities of the night and what would be required for me to fully participate - I needed to come with an object in hand that I felt was irreplaceable.
When I think of what objects might be defined as "irreplaceable," I think of family heirlooms as they are objects which usually hold favorable memories or connections to those who owned them prior to our acquiring them. Of course, these are items that I've heard others talk about absolutely having to grab on the way out to safety in the event of a house fire because they held such sentiment. This might sound despairing, but I don't possess any such items. Rest assured; it's absolutely not despairing for me.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned from the heartbreaking loss of my mother at the age of twelve is this: Life is short, and you cannot take stuff with you. Obviously, this is not new news. We have all heard this repeated - over and over. Over the past almost thirty years, I've gained further insight into this cliché statement. I hold memories in my mind and tenderly close to my heart.
After my mother passed, several objects were handed down to me. Of course, these items were certainly special to me. I was definitely saddened to have most of them either lost to me or broken over the years. But here is the thing - I can still see them perfectly in my mind's eye and deeply feel the sentiment around them, even though I haven't seen or held them in several years.
So, I go back to the women's activity. If you're wondering if I decided to go, the answer is yes. While I did not follow the assignment exactly, I decided to show up authentically. I reflected on what really applied to me as an irreplaceable item. This is what came to me: The divinely inherited spiritual gift “to just know.”
This gift of such strong conviction to know who my Savior is and who I am to Him, is one of my most cherished possessions, which I keep - and hold in tender humility - close to my heart. It has been my beacon in the storms of life. It has been a constant tender mercy from loving Heavenly Parents as a Liahona to guide me through all the adversity I chose to take on when I declared, in loud hosanna, “Yes!” in response to Their plan for me to grow in magnitude and majesty through a mortal experience to gain my divinely appointed inheritance and potential.
It is so significant, this gift, that it sparked a Mindfulness Art Project.
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