Yesterday. Or, On Changing the Past

I have been thinking lately about changing the past, about how everyone always wishes that they could change it, and makes mental lists of the things that they would change if they could--lists that unfortunately do NOT simply gather dust in the corner of the mind, but rather overtake the center stage, and deny time to the simple, beautiful, yet under-rehearsed memories that would better fill that space....

I am grateful that the past cannot be changed. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, yesterday is the only carved-in-stone that there is. Yesterday will always be the same as it was left. Only one's perspective on yesterday can change.

No one can take the past away from you. Love it. Learn from it. Borrow its glowing embers to light today's fire, but leave its ashes where they are. (Elder Holland once said something to that effect in a BYU devotional address.)

Think of the morning after having completed a difficult task--after climbing, and wading, and pushing and struggling through something steeper and thicker than you had felt prepared to climb and wade and push and struggle through. You wake in the morning, and as the memory of what you have accomplished comes rushing in, you snuggle into the covers with a bit more confidence, and push the snooze button with a little less guilt. But, you're wide awake now, you won't be sleeping any more today--because it is today, the triumphant today, complete with all of its blessings bought with yesterday's sacrifice. And no one can change that such is and always will be the case.

(Font sizing variation was inspired by the blog of my dear Cousin, Michelle.)