Dear family and dear friends 7 March 2010
A Bellevue friend of ours published in the Ensign magazine a story of one of her “not feeling very well” days when the Spirit said, get up anyway and bring a note to one of the ladies she wanted to befriend. Something amazing, wonderful and earth-shaking happened. I can’t remember what, but I think of the story every time I am tempted to guard my pillow and the front door to not let anyone in or out. Maria’s or Steven’s or someone’s cold has worked to get the better of me yesterday and today. But organizing of pictures has grabbed me and I am up, even though gratefully, I had a kind neighbor agree to teach the four year olds for me…and hopefully no one got too near yesterday at the Bountiful Family History Fair, where I borrowed a sixth of a box of Kleenex and soaked in whatever I could between sniffles.
Verla, my hero historian and mother-in-law
joined me, banana in purse, and smile on cheeks as I passed her going to my third class. Some years ago, she came across a picture of one of her ancestors’ families that helped her to get to know cousins and grand cousins (is there such a thing?) Okay, cousins twice and thrice removed. Many expressed interest, shared stories, and before she could stop herself, she was in the process of compiling a book. Maria has typed. Val has typed and helped to edit. I have assisted. Bob,
her son-in-law and editor-in-chief has taken a breath from editing the Deseret News to crop and restore pictures, and put it all together. Verla came to learn more about how to create something she has nearly completed, and felt joy realizing all the help that comes when we put our hands to the plow. She is phenomenal, and the rest of us are thinking maybe we should try something new and challenging even if we may not yet be 80!
Two letters back, I shared some of our 2009 Christmas. It was lovely, but it went just a day longer than we had planned, and at the end of the afternoon, the Saturday after Christmas, we realized that Val’s nuclear and extended family were planning an eightieth birthday celebration for Grandma the next day at 5 p.m. Nothing to be done, but drive—and drive we did,
through the mountains and through the night. Good roads and conditions minus some fog through the Blue Mountains in Oregon (when Laurene was driving and rather frightened) but I kept praying and kept my speed down. In fact, we were traveling at 30 mph through the dense mist when Val inquired what made me inclined to drive so fast. It may have been ten minutes, but felt like an hour.
The fog ended; the succeeding roads let us travel directly, and we made good time--except for the minor several-mile detour we took toward Pocatello. It was the only time any of us have ever heard a particular parent advocate considering the median emergency turn around (and we won’t say which parent.) We did, however, arrive at home in time to turn up the water heater, shower, and walk into Sacrament Meeting half-dazed (surely the reason for Laurene’s accepting an invitation [while trapped in the coat closet without an escape!] to present a family history presentation for Relief Society later mid-month.)
Later that eventful Sunday evening, we gathered in a welcoming dining room
with sparklers for Grandma to blow out and we smiled as we watched what happens to twins over the years,
grateful to hear sometime later that Grandma’s twin had an equally lovely gathering with her family.
Val’s youngest sister Marlene and family were visiting from Arizona.
Their Tacy brought her little Ella, and as we watched her clap and grin, someone mentioned how amazingly much Ella looks like Verla and Merla in their infant pictures.
And yes, she does! Funny, how things pass down. A friend of mine mentioned reading a chapter in last year’s Relief Society manual this past month that mentions Salmon Gee. She mentioned that what they said about him reminds her of me. What is written, primarily, is the encouragement of the prophet for the ward members to listen to their bishop (Salmon Gee.) I am grateful when someone encourages those under my stewardship to listen to me!
It was fun to be invited to listen to Maria debate this Thursday. My conclusion is that defending a position without being defensive
looks to be quite a trick.
Hoorah for our friends who do it well! Author Michael Wilcox taught the stake Relief Society on Thursday night that standing, when we stand in holy places refers to actively defending truth. Thank you doing exactly that! And at our ward conference Sunday our chemical engineer bishop taught us about the refinement of titanium. Each clump of this metal ore has all the properties of titanium before being refined. It simply requires a severe mixing with chlorine, then vacuuming, and other radical changes to become pure and valuable. He likened the process to friends and family members, who have all the properties of deity and goodness within them but at times fall off the belt of the refinement process. As parents and friends, valuing the worth inside we must encourage one another to stay on or get back on the belt. Blessings to friends and family anxiously engaged in such refinement. Love to you! Starkeys
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