One of my favorite movies of all time is "It's a Wonderful Life" with James Steward and Donna Reed. It's the story of George Bailey. At one point in his life he felt everything was falling apart. He even went so far as to wish he had never been born.
Along comes Clarence the Angel who grants George his wish. He is shown what the world would have been like if he had never been born. What George saw was a very dark and depressing place for everyone in the little community where he lived. His life even went beyond his community because he would not have been around to save his little brother from drowning so his brother could save many during the war.
George decided he really did want to live and was given his life back. What George discovered was the value of the friendships from all the lives he had touched. That really came to light when all those friends he had helped over the years came to his aid at his time of crisis and saved him.
There have been times in my life where I, like George, have wished I had never been born. I was sure things would have been much better for everyone else. But. like George, I also discovered it is the relationships we have that really matter. It isn't about how much we accumulate, how many awards we have won, what positions we hold, or even how much money we make. None of that really matters.
It is the people in our lives that we touch everyday. I thought about this today while on my walk. I thought about some of the lives that would have been different or even non-existent if I had never been born. My younger brother would never have been introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ. He wouldn't have served a mission to Boston. He wouldn't have been married for Time and All Eternity in the Temple of God. He wouldn't have had several sons serve missions for the Church. And he wouldn't have touched many of the lives that he has touched over the years.
My four wonderful children and eighteen beautiful grandchildren would never have been born if I wasn't here. My sons wouldn't have served missions. Several of my grandchildren wouldn't have served either.
I thought about the many people I have come to love who I have worked with in my various jobs over the years. Wonderful friendships have been developed and I still keep in touch with some even though we haven't worked together for years.
I have thought about the wonderful brothers and sisters I have grown to love in the many wards I have lived in. I have worked side by side with them and love them so very much. I still think back very fondly to those I knew when I first joined the Church.
Every person has touched my life in so many ways. I would not be the person I am today without their love and influence. I include each of you who may be reading this as a friend on FaceBook. I love and appreciate you all so very much. I am truly blessed.
It is a Wonderful Life even when things go wrong. We are all so blessed by the people we have in our lives. Reach out and touch someone today. Let them know how much they are appreciated. Let them know how much they are loved.
