A Little Better

After thanking his neighbors for their service in providing a wonderful Christmas for his family, I heard a humble father say, "Life is never going to be fair, but we can make it a little better for everyone around us."  

I've thought a lot about these words.  It's true that life will never be fair and the more we try to make it fair the more disappointed we will be, but we can make life a little better for everyone.  I love the quote by Gordon B. Hinckley, “Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to just be people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is like an old time rail journey…delays…sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” 

Photo Courtesy of Juber Al-haddad via Flickr

I went to the dentist yesterday for my regular six month check-up.  Now going to the dentist for me is torturous.  Ever since my first root canal at the tender age of nine, I've developed an irrational fear of going.  Even the sound of the drill is enough to send me into fits.  I realize in my rational mind that going to the dentist is one of those necessary evils that I endure just for the sake of being healthy, but it's still hard.  It's one of those experiences where I just want to close my eyes like a child and pretend that I'm not there until it's all over.  But I have to say that my dentist and all his wonderful helpers do everything they can to make the experience a little better.  They offer me headphones, and a remote with all of the cable stations so I can watch the TV mounted in the ceiling, a blanket to keep me warm, meds if I want them, drinks, chap stick, and they complete the experience with a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and some floss, along with coupons for free bread at Great Harvest Bread Company.  But the best part about the dentist experience is that my dentist and his helpers are kind, friendly, extremely smiley, and I know they genuinely care about me.  My dentist actually sees me!  Read my Truly Seeing blog if you don't know what I mean.  I definitely don't think it's fair that I've had to go through so many painful experiences with my teeth, but I'm so glad that these people are there to make the journey a little better.

We can all do that!  We can all make the journey a little better for those around us!  Like my husband said a few days ago, "We shouldn't want life to be fair."  If it was fair then we would all be condemned to that place of eternal torment.  The Savior has paid the ultimate price for each of us.  Every single one of us holds a place within His heart.  He gave everything He had to make life not just a little better for us, but a lot better.  In return, He asks us to make life a little better for those around us.  I'm grateful for the angels in my life that do that for me.  Imagine if we all did that for each other...

Gordon B. Hinckley, in his book, Standing for Something, tells us, “Imagine how our own families, let alone the world, would change if we vowed to keep faith with one another, strengthen one another, look for and accentuate the virtues in one another, and speak graciously concerning one another. Imagine the cumulative effect if we treated each other with respect and acceptance, if we willingly provided support. Such interactions practiced on a small scale would surely have a rippling effect throughout our homes and communities and, eventually, society at large.”

I hope that we can make life a little better for all those around us today.  It doesn't have to be much.  Even a smile, a note, a compliment, or little bit of recognition can brighten the world and make life "a little better" for everyone.