The Missing Dog

One of my earliest memories of my life was going with my dad on a priesthood service activity. I couldn’t have been older than 2 or 3. He told me we were going to a ladies house to build up rocks around her fence because her dog had been getting out. We arrived at a small humble house with a chain-link fence around the front perimeter. There were other Elders there, and we placed various-sized rocks along the inside edge of the fence to trap any holes through which a dog could get out. Then we slid smaller rocks with our feet to fill in the tinier gaps. All this time, I was wondering about this poor lady I hadn't met who may have lost her dog. And where was that dog anyway? The situation was a little confusing for my childish mind. But one part of the experience has never dimmed from my memory: I was part of an important service, and the people I was working with were dedicated and concerned for her welfare.

LESSON LEARNED: No age is too young to expose children to service, including priesthood welfare assignments. They will make a bigger impression on them than you think.

FEEDBACK: WHAT EXPERIENCE WITH SERVICE DO YOU RECALL FROM YOUR EARLY YOUTH?

Deadly Life Saver

When Preston was little, he loved any activity that had to do with balls, particularly basketball.  One afternoon when he was about three years old, the two of us walked to the high school to watch the varsity basketball game.  We sat on the lowest bleacher, and Preston fidgeted in my lap as he tried to run after the balls.  I gripped him tightly as we watched the warm-up, and to settle him down, I gave him a Life Saver candy to suck on.  Shortly, our neighbor Glenna Grow walked buy and said hi.  She also greeted Preston, but asked, “Why is his face turning blue?”  I whipped him around, and sure enough, his facial color was changing as he choked on the deadly Life Saver.  I flipped him over, performed the Heimlich maneuver, and out popped the candy.  Then we both started to cry and ran for home.

LESSON LEARNED:  Not all fidgeting in kids is due to bad behavior.

FEEDBACK:  WHAT SCARY ENCOUNTER WITH CHOKING HAVE YOU HAD WITH A CHILD?

Big Class Drop

When I discovered that I wanted to be a doctor, I had already completed a five-year engineering degree at BYU. I had started my Master’s degree in management, and it was already a month into the first semester of it. But I knew I would need to hustle and get going on a year and a half of pre-medical classes. So going on faith, I went and visited both the Chemistry 101 and Biology 100 instructors. I told them I was going to join their classes, even though it was a month into the semester. “No, you’re not”, they said. “Yes, I am”, I answered. We went back and forth like this for a couple minutes, and they both protested because they had already had three quizzes and a major exam. “Look”, I said, “How about we go forward, and whatever personal average I accrue on my work, give me that same average grade on the missed quizzes and test”. They both bought into it. I hurried down to the administration building and dropped all my Master’s classes. It was one of the scariest things I have ever done. But with intense work, pray and the Lord’s help, I did fine. At the semester end, I was ranked second out of 200 chemistry students in my class.

LESSON LEARNED: Miracles continue to happen today, and they can be on a very personal level. When we team with the Lord and ask in faith, keeping His commandments along the way, miracles can happen.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU EVER DONE SOMETHING SO SCARY THAT IT REQUIRED INTENSE FAITH AND COURAGE, AND THEN SAW YOUR PRAYERS ANSWERED?

Did You Pray

One day in 2004, I received a call at work from Kathleen that four-year-old Brandon was missing. I rushed home to find two police cars in my driveway and policemen wandering around the yard. As I rushed in, I was given a quick update: Brandon had been missing for a few hours, and the police had searched the entire house twice. Our hearts sank, and I felt panicked. I ran through the house myself, and then grabbed Kathleen as we made a quick plan. She would jump in her car and go one direction which I went the other. If Brandon was alone, he couldn’t have gotten far. As I hurried to the door, one of the policeman grabbed my arm and asked, “Have you thought to pray?” Though I have done so feverishly in my heart, we hadn’t as yet prayed as family. So we took the kids aside and did just that. Then, on exiting the house, we heard the call from upstairs: “We found him!” Brandon had slipped under a comforter blanket that was tossed on his sibling's unmade bed, and had fallen sound asleep. With his small size and the piled appearance of the blanket, no one had noticed him under it.

LESSON LEARNED: With all issues in life, the Lord stands by ready to aid and assist us. But we need to ask for his help.

FEEDBACK: HAVE YOU REMEMBERED TO PRAY DURING YOUR MOST TRYING MOMENTS?

The Broken Bottle

Yesterday I was in Tucson with the grandkids.  We all went out to lunch, and all three of the kids were excited to get their own bottle of soda pop.  Before long though, our meal was interrupted by a loud crash.  Little Emmett had been holding his bottle with only one hand and it fell to the floor, scattering shards of glass and soda pop everywhere.  He was devastated, but his two wise parents knew the best learning opportunity would be to not replace it with a new one.  As he sobbed, his older brother James quietly slid his own bottle over to Emmett and gave it to him.  I didn’t say a thing, but I was so proud of him.  With that, his dad shared the rest of his drink with James.  It was a great display of sharing, and it reminded me that much of the good that happens in world starts with the little things.

LESSON LEARNED:  Bad things happen in life, but we can ease the burdens of others and relieve suffering.

FEEDBACK:  WHAT EXPERIENCE OF UNSOLICITED SHARING OR HELP HAVE YOU WITNESSED IN YOUR SIBLINGS OR CHILDREN?

Primary Bull Run

One summer afternoon when I was ten years old, I walked to primary meeting with a friend. In those days, primary was held during the week, and the old rock chapel in Kaysville was a good three miles from our home. School was out and we had plenty of time to get there, so we took a back dirt road that meandered around fenced fields. My friend Brent and I were getting tired of the road tracing around three sides of some fields, so we inspected one to cut across. The field was about five acres in size, and was vacant except for some black bulls that were resting in the shade at one far end. Since we were right at the middle, we jumped the fence at that point and started on our way. We were exactly half way, when suddenly, our distant company of sedate bulls sprang into action and decided to charge us. I remember running for our little lives, and we literally ran up and dove over the distant barbwire fence. What I recall, besides my life flashing before my eyes, was a wall of angry snorting bulls up against the fence, and that I tore my new red flannel shirt on the barbs in the process.

LESSON LEARNED: Never wear a red flannel shirt when crossing a field of bulls.

FEEDBACK: WHAT NEAR-MISS DEATH STORIES DO YOU RECALL?

Bed of Roses

Today I made a difficult phone call. Last Friday while I was on vacation, my laboratory lost a biopsy. This almost never happens. In fact, in my twenty years of practice, I can think of it happening only twice - and both times were within the last three weeks to the same submitting doctor. As we visited on the phone, I nervously explained this plight to Dr. Glick. I had expected a different response, but this is the one I got: “Steve, life is like a bed of roses that we gather over time. It is a beautiful experience, but on rare occasion we come up with a thorn. Just because one (or in this case, two) bad things happen, I will never forget the thousands of biopsies you have interpreted for me so thoughtfully over the years. I love you guys, and I love doing business with you”. I have never broken down in tears over the phone to a clinician, but like the rare thorn, I did this time.

LESSON LEARNED: Forgiveness and understanding still exist in the world; sometimes we forget this fact in a world that teaches otherwise.

FEEDBACK: WHAT MARVELOUS EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD AS THE RECIPIENT OF FORGIVENESS AND UNDERSTANDING?

Kensley's New Hat

Friday we took the entire family to Disneyland – 11 adults and 8 children. We made for a small village as we slowly meandered down the fairway. Thankfully, we all had matching Neiybor tee shirts that advertised Preston’s new business. Their bright blue color gave us a collective coordination that made it easy for us to identify one another in the crowd. That is to say, all of us except for two-year-old Kensley. The shirt sizes had come in too large for her little frame, so she was the exception in her little pink shirt. Perhaps that is why we didn’t notice when our blue crowd moved away from her, and she didn’t notice us leaving. It wasn’t until 10 minutes later that we noticed her missing. She was only 15 feet away from us, and two caring employees were keeping an eye on her. Frantically though, we all ran around like chickens with our heads cut off until we found her. W were all so relieved when we discovered her. Kensley was no worse for the wear, and had even been given a Minnie Mouse bridal hat to keep her distracted.

LESSON LEARNED: We all have a missing child story in our past. But in life, every member of our enlarging family group is important and has a place. We can never be truly happy if one is missing.

FEEDBACK: WHAT EXPERIENCES DO YOU HAVE WITH LOST ONES THAT GAVE YOU A BIG SCARE?

What's the Password

This week we are nineteen peas in a pod. Our biannual pilgrimage to Grammy Sharon’s house (and Disneyland, of course) is on. Amidst lots of hugging, laughter, jokes and stories, there are always some new memories to be made. This morning at 6:30 a.m. was no exception. Sixteen of us pod peas were lined wall-to-wall on air mattresses in Grammy's living room, sound asleep. Little did we know that at that very moment, our little grandson Emmett was NOT asleep in grandma’s bedroom. Emmett’s attention had been captured by a string that was hanging next to grandma’s bed. Now as all five-year-olds know, any stray string deserves a good tug. This one was no exception. In this case, the pulling of the bedroom string caused a paradigm shift in the living room. A woman’s voice suddenly boomed, “Are you having an emergency?” All the sixteen sleeping peas popped. “Sharon, are you having an emergency?” The emergency assistance line had to been tripped, and ironically, the speaker was out in the over-populated living room. Further mayhem ensued with our next command: “What's the password?” “I don’t remember”, Grandma retorted. Thankfully, her birthdate satisfied the caller, and we were all free to go back to sleep. Not.

LESSON LEARNED:  There is never a shortage of new memories to be had when the family gets together.

FEEDBACK:  WHAT HILARIOUS FAMILY REUNION MEMORIES DO YOU RECALL?