Howdy Ya’ll. It’s Justin for another edition of Daddy’s Corner. My birthday was this week I turned 25. That means I’m a quarter of a century old. Life has certainly been an adventure. In this blog I will post five pictures with stories from my first 25 years!
Soccer was the first sport I ever played. I remember being the prime defender. I made it my personal mission that no goals were scored on me. That summer was one of the most fun summers I have ever had. I learned that having fun is an important part of life. My boy Ross and I love to play. We chase each other around the house and I can’t wait to coach his T-ball team when he is old enough to swing the bat. There is a famous saying that love is spelled t-i-m-e. I hope to show love through time with my wife and children.
This was the best day of my life. Jill and I were married in Boise, Idaho on August 6th, 2016. Growing up with divorced parents, I wanted to change the culture of my future family. I committed to my sweet wife Jill that I would love and cherish her. I strive everyday to remember the promises we made then. We have been married for three years now. It just keeps getting better. I’m looking forward to holding Jill’s hand as we rock in our rocking chairs with our grandkids running around.
Here, I had a feeling of total excitement and appreciation. I had the incredible opportunity to intern for Latter-day Saint Charities in Frankfurt, Germany in January 2019. This image is of me in front of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. While in Europe my research was presented at the U.N World Interfaith Harmony week. I gathered data on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ interfaith efforts in Europe. It was a surreal experience as I went through security and walked down the huge hallways where flags from each nation hung. I will also be grateful for that experience.
Jill, Ross, and I toured all over Europe and had the time of our lives. It was truly unforgettable.
November 21st 2017 at 4:48 P.M., two days before Thanksgiving, Ross Jones Bertelsen came into our family. Words cannot express the absolute joy and mantle of responsibility I felt as I held my little Roscoe for the first time. Jill did a wonderful job laboring and from that moment we have had countless laughs, cries, and shrieks of happiness as Ross and I chase each other around the house. I often look at Ross and admire his vibrance and energy. Jill and I are such proud parents.
Just next month, Ross will have a baby sister. Another child in our family will be a new challenge, but we are ready to take it on, together.
This final picture is of us at graduation from BYU-Idaho. Jill is in a cap and gown, but I also graduated that day. I am the first person to graduate college from my immediate family. I’m happy to report that I graduated with honors. I continue to be a trailblazer for my family by pursuing a master’s degree at Texas A&M. I love to learn. I love my family. I love my life.
What can we learn from all of these images? We can learn that our life isn’t necessarily determined by our past, but how we react to our past and move forward to the future. I encourage you, my dear readers to take a minute to reflect on your life so far. If you were writing a blog, which images would you include? What are key milestones in your life? What are future milestones that you are working towards?
Check out this link to a reading of Stephen R. Covey’s eulogy exercise.
I completed it and it changed my perspective on life.
I’ll end this blog with a quote from John Lennon,
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
Press onward, dear friends.
Justin Bertelsen
