this time of year

often finds me thinking of this little poem:

First Fig
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—
It gives a lovely light!


And then I think of a few lines from Elder Maxwell, "Another insight that seems to recur again and again in confirmation is that the todays of life constitute the holy present. We can’t fix the past. We may be able to repent of it, but we can’t change past events. We can fashion the future, and we do that by using what someone has called the holy present, which indeed it is."

I'm so grateful for this time in my life. I'm grateful for today, for my students who will fill this classroom in less than an hour, for last night's sunset, for holding a new baby, for Saturday's hike through snow, for the temple, for playtime with a toddler, for Friday's solo bike ride, for moments of peace, for family, for times spent sitting round the table, for all the opportunities I'm afforded, for this exciting time in my life. I'm spoiled. So I'll forever continue to give thanks and share what I have with others because that's really all I can do.

Happy last day of November!