Soldier On

When my husband and I were newly-weds, we had the privilege of attending a remarkable sacrament meeting. It was Veteran's Day, and a white haired gentleman slowly made his way to the podium. In a distinctly German accent, he told of his experience during the war and how he was forced into the army as a youth. He opposed everything the war stood for, and so, as a young man had made the powerful but dangerous decision to never fire a shot. Occasionally, when he was under suspicion, he would fire into the air. "But in all my years in that army, I never fired my rifle at another man, not once." Following his remarks another white haired gentleman came to the microphone and said that he served in the US army during WWII. He spoke of serving his mission in Germany. He was drafted just months after he returned home. How could he fire on a people he loved so much? "I too never fired a shot," he said. The congregation sat in tearful silence following these two grand old men.

Now I am deeply grateful for those who did fire shots in defense of freedom and right. What touches me so deeply about these stories is that these young men, marched into the furnace of war committed to living true to the very best within them -whatever the cost.

That is a lesson I need. I want to face my challenges with the same integrity that those former soldiers did.

All too often I give in to outside pressures. It could be trying to keep my house the way someone else does, without thinking about how I want to keep my house. Sometimes it's driving faster on the freeway because I'm getting cranky looks from other drivers. Sometimes it's trying to look a certain way, or parent a certain way or somehow trying to live up to someone else's standards without considering who I really am or what I really want for myself and my family.

I look forward to getting to know me - the person I am at this stage in my life - and to living life on my terms. I want to live true to the very best within me - whatever the cost.