Making the Most

A CHILD ASKS, “Mom, who makes the most? A doctor or a teacher?” The child, in asking which profession earns the most income, unintentionally sparks a question—different but perhaps more important—in his mother’s mind.

Her consideration is not about money but about who chooses to make the most out of life. Who, in those moments when life gives lemons, chooses to make lemonade and smile their way through it—looking for the magic rather than the misery of the moment.

Making the most of life’s moments means optimistically looking for the good in circumstances that at first glance are less than ideal.

Recently, a young couple was married. They had planned their wedding day with meticulous precision. Everything had been considered, from the colors of the tablecloths, to the music, to the seating arrangements, to the location of the cake. They had everything under control except one thing: the weather.

The big day of their outdoor wedding arrived, and as evening approached and lines of guests began to form, so too did dark, heavy rain clouds. Within moments, thunder clapped and the clouds released heavy torrents of rain upon the bride and groom and their family and friends. Everyone was soaked to the bone, including the bride, her cake, and perhaps even the joy of what was supposed to be the perfect evening.

Then, without warning, the bride ran and jumped into a nearby swimming pool. The groom immediately followed, cannonballing into the water. They embraced—no more wet than they had been moments earlier—and watched with joy as dozens of rain-soaked wedding guests followed their lead. The entire wedding party danced and sang to the music—some in the pool but all in the rain.

The water that could have drowned their joy instead buoyed it up. It’s safe to say they made the most of the moment.

As we seek to make the most of life’s moments, may we remember God’s purpose for our lives: to have joy (see 2 Nephi 2:25). Joy can be found in the rare moments when all is perfectly right, but more often it is found in the very real, everyday imperfections of life.