I'm so sorry I haven't chatted with you by phone or in person for such a long time, and now I am connecting with you by email. (It was great to see Q on Sunday and have his sweet offer to play with Sam this summer!) I love that kid.
Last week was a blur (more about that in a sec) and tomorrow we are driving to Utah for our grandson's baby blessing! I will be home next week for a few days, then flying to NH. The "blur" is that last Monday, May 15, 2017, one of my younger brothers perished in a small plane crash over the Caribbean. He was 52 and his girlfriend and her two small boys perished with him. Here is a link to the news story if you are interested:
My visiting teaching message is that God is real, He loves us, and the plan of salvation is real. I know that I will see my brother again, and that someday this will all make sense. Some of it is already making sense. About a week before this happened, we found out that the younger brother (in his 50's) of Cathy M. (RS teacher in our ward and counselor at DNO so I think you know her), was found dead in his home. He was in our ward for a while and we felt so much sadness and sympathy for her to lose her younger brother. The next day at church I saw her and expressed my sympathy, and she asked me to teach RS the following Sunday for her because she would be at her brother's memorial service. Right after I agreed to do it, I remembered that my daughter, Julia, would be visiting for the weekend, and I felt prompted to ask her to teach for me since she loves to teach and she's so good at it. She readily agreed. My brother's plane crashed the very next day, and I would have been in no condition to teach.
So Julia taught RS this past Sunday, and even though she's my girl and I'm biased, it is possibly the best Relief Society lesson I have ever heard. I recorded it on my phone (recording attached) if you want to listen. Both my parents and parents-in-law are still living, and this is the first death in our immediate family. I know that you lost your dad and I don't need to teach you anything about loss, but as my visiting teaching message, I am so grateful for all the truths my daughter taught on Sunday and all the reminders I got at church that this life is just a dot in the eternal plan. I've already listened to the recording--it's that good. Whenever I'm reminded of the plan of salvation, my heart is so lifted.
I'm also so grateful for the absolute miracle that even though I am sad about my brother, the rest of me is still ME, is still able to be happy about things I was happy about before, enjoy the sunshine, good food, flowers, and shopping at Ross! Everything is more beautiful, tastes better, and small kindnesses are more poignant now. And people are SO NICE. I just can't believe how kind people are. A friend of mine who suffered an even more tragic loss when she was a teenager told me that Heavenly Father would give me exactly what I need in the moment I need it, and that has proven to be so true. I am prompted to do the next thing I need to do, or take a break, or something will strike me funny and I will laugh.
I hope you are well! I really do care about you and your life and how you are doing and I hope to see you in person after I get back from NH.
