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authorCollin Williams <96917990+bluedragon1221@users.noreply.github.com>2024-10-24 20:03:03 -0500
committerCollin Williams <96917990+bluedragon1221@users.noreply.github.com>2024-10-24 20:03:03 -0500
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+---
+title: Encounter with a Stubborn Tree
+---
+
+Winter, 1997
+
+It was our family tradition to enroll our older children in early
+morning Seminary. This is an hour of religious instruction before the
+start of public school classes. My wife and I were quite happy when our
+oldest daughter, Emily, obtained her driver's license. This meant we no
+longer had to get up at 5:30 am to drive them to the church to attend
+the class.
+
+One icy winter morning, we were quite suddenly awoken when our son Ryan
+banged on our bedroom door to announce that he and Emily had smashed the
+car into a large tree on the way to Seminary. The road was very slippery
+from the ice, causing Emily to lose control of the car. That stubborn
+old maple tree had no intention of moving out of the way for a wimpy
+little Ford Fiesta. Consequently, the Fiesta was transformed into a
+mangled mass of metal and broken glass. Fortunately, Ryan was unharmed
+and Emily sustained painful, but not serious injuries.
+
+When all the fuss and anxiety had calmed down, my wife and I gathered
+our little family back into our family room. We knelt in a circle and
+offered a simple prayer of gratitude that our family had been spared
+from the calamity of death or debilitating injury. The words of the
+prayer were brief and heartfelt, but the choicest moments came after the
+prayer. It was always our pattern to conclude a family prayer with a hug
+and a kiss for each child. On this occasion, I lingered a few precious
+seconds longer than usual with each hug, relishing the privilege of
+embracing a child who was still very much alive and healthy. Our hearts
+were very tender as we rejoiced together as a family that morning.
+
+I call them "focus moments", these experiences that remind us with such
+brilliant clarity what things matter the most in this life.