Enjoy the Sunflowers

Daisy said to meet at the sunflowers.

I put Hank in a little white onesie and some khakis. In his blue and white stripe
seersucker jacket he looked a lot more like a little boy than a baby.

We got in the car to head to Topham family pictures.

Daisy said to meet at the sunflowers, but when I asked Jake where that was, he didn’t know either.

I sat in the back next to Hank’s car seat to fix his Baby Magic mohawk. We drove towards Paragonah.

We saw Maggie’s car coming towards us from the opposite direction, so we slowed down to follow her.

We had just passed the spot by a few hundred yards.

On the side of the road there was a small patch of sunflowers we had missed.

When Daisy pulled up, I realized she didn’t have the small patch of sunflowers in mind.

We followed her and her camera up a small hill, and the patch of weeds I could see from the road transformed into an entire field of sunflowers.

It stopped me in my tracks.

How did I not see those?

Every time we drive to Paragonah I look for them now.

As things get colder I know they won’t last much longer, but I think I’ll still look for them.

Sometimes I read the scriptures and I find things I have never seen before.

Words or phrases that seem new.

New words chosen just for me.

In 2 Nephi 9 the prophet Jacob explains the Plan of Happiness.

He testifies of Jesus Christ and how He saves us from monsters.

He testifies of the resurrection.

“Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.” (2 Nephi 9:14)

Somehow I have always only read about righteousness or guilt.

I missed enjoyment.

Did you?

“Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.”

Hank is getting older.

I watch in awe as he grows up.

I watch him kiss his reflection in the mirror, and I want to remember.

I watch him point to the spider on every page of his book, and I want to remember.

He reaches for me when he’s happy and when he’s sad, and I want to remember.

Jake is so special.

I hear him speak about people and things he loves, and I want to remember.

I see him stand up and stand out in every venue, and I want to remember.

I sit with him on my swing in my front yard, and I want to remember.

Then the spirit whispers,

“You can. Just enjoy."

What a promise made possible through the One who truly remembers and truly enjoys.

Life is not easy. Things do not always go as planned.
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The moments fly by and the sunflowers do not stay as long as we hope.

But what a tender promise full of hope and love.

The Savior says, “Part of my plan is that you enjoy. If you do, you’ll remember.”

Here’s to more enjoying and to more remembering.