I think I have mentioned before that there is in life or, at least, in my life, an amazing balance of highs and lows that seem to intertwine constantly. When things seem hard, I know to pause and look to see somewhere else in the corner of my life where things are going well. Last week the highs were certainly apparent in the amazing Women's Conference we attended.
Last Sunday, I taught my lesson in Relief Society on Pres. Eying's talk, "Try, Try, Try" from the October 2018 Conference. During the lesson, I noticed that my dear friend and our Relief Society President, Debbie Woodrow, left the room briefly and when she returned, she was emotional and worried. Not much I could do about that while I was teaching.
However, immediately after the closing prayer, she hugged me and whispered to me that Oliver Parrish, the grandson of our close friends, the Sparrows, had passed away that morning and we needed to go. We found our husbands, passed off our stuff, and walked down to the Sparrow's home which is located just down from the Church. Kristy and Greg were still over at their daughter's home but their other children were there with their two other grandsons. Oliver was just six months old. Heartbreaking! It is always heartbreaking when a baby or child dies. It is out of order and not what we have planned when we bring a child into the world. It has been a week of check in and trying to do something, anything to ease their pain and make life okay once more. Life will never be the same, of course, for any of them. Hopefully they will find the changes that are good, more love for each other, more faith, more peace, more compassion for others. Even us on the outside of the experience have been changed. Life is a fragile experience and we have no say in what is ahead for us.
Sitting at the kitchen table on Sunday afternoon, Kristy said, "Who can be prepared for this?" Very quickly, the words came, "You have prepared for this. Every prayer you have said, each time you have gone to the temple, each commandment you have obeyed, each time you have served, you have been preparing for this moment. You can draw from all of that now for as long as you need." How lucky we are to have the understanding of the gospel and confidence in reaching out for help our Heavenly Father stands ready to give us. Heavenly Father stands ready to bless all of his children no matter where they are or what they know or don't know--His love for his children is perfect and endless. However it is nice to have some experience to draw from during these difficult moments. It does not ease the sorrow--but it gives meaning to sorrow and hope for the future.
Good things to remember because on Friday when I returned home from the Women's Conference, I got a text from Debbie, this time telling me that her sweet dad was in the hospital and had just been transferred to the U of U University Hospital and on a ventilator. Her parents live in our ward and he was the bishop when we moved to Syracuse about 20 years ago. He is still struggling in the hospital.
Then on Saturday, Gary mentioned that the Roberts in our ward had just lost their daughter, Susie. Immediately I texted my friend, Lori, who is Susie's mother-in-law, to check with them. I caught Lori waiting in the DFW airport for a connector flight to Waco where her son and his family lived. Susie had had significant health problems most of her life and came close to death many times, but it was unexpected that she passed away in her sleep Saturday morning. Lori and Roger had spent Friday celebrating the life of Roger's mother who had just passed away the week before at the age of 89, I believe. Lori said: " Friday was perfect. Today we are numb."
Oh, how I love these people in my life and how I wish that they could be spared the heartaches they are experiencing today. Thank heaven again for our knowledge of the purpose of life and our abilities as humans to love and care for each other.
And in that balance of life--my niece, Landi, and her husband announced this week that they will be able to adopt all four of their foster daughters next Thursday! Life--the good and the hard all rolled up together in a crazy journey.
In President Eyring's talk referred to above he shared the following incident: "Many years ago, I was first counselor to a district president in the eastern United States. More than once, as we were driving to our little branches, he said to me, “Hal, when you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” Not only was he right, but I have learned over the years that he was too low in his estimate. " I think this is true. Both in my professional life and in my personal life, people are experiences all types of ups and downs, many at the same time. We just need to do our best and hang on for the ride.
Please know that I am always open to be part of your cheer leading squad if you ever need one. Love you all!
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