Family

I wanted to take time and write about the funerals that I've been to this past month. I'm so glad that I was able to go with Bertie and Georgia to Idaho to Aunt Velma's funeral. I haven't seen so many on that side of the family for awhile. I have to admit that it was so noisy in the family room. I'm sure that the Bishop wondered what in the heck was going on in there. In our defense...Aunt Velma had lived such a long life (94 years)and had lived without Uncle Chance for since 1982. What a blessing for her to finally return to her family and our Father in Heaven and to be released from her aging body and it's problems. We were enjoying each other so much as a family, It was wonderful!! It was so great to see my Gisler cousins that I hadn't seen for probably close to 30 years. And of course my dear cousin Lisa Lackey. I grew up with these cousins and have such fond memories of my time with them in California. I also loved seeing my other cousins of course, whom I see more often. It felt so weird to think I wasn't seeing any aunts or uncles...we're now the next generation. It makes you think about how precious life really is and that family is such an important part of that life.
I then went in the very next Saturday to Salt Lake to my Aunt Eileen's funeral. She was married to my Uncle Lee for 18 years. It's a long story but even though they were divorced the reason for that being so didn't change that she was my aunt. Again I saw Roberta and Keith and I told her that we had to stop seeing each other for this reason. I was glad that we could support my Uncle and his children. What a special lady with special understanding with her health problems which made her have such a childlike disposition. It was great to see a few more cousins on my mother's side of the family. So between the two deaths I was able to see many from both parents families. What a wonderful week even with the sadness of the occasions. I couldn't feel bad for either one, that they had finally been relieved of these bodies that had kept them back. What freedoms they must feel at this time, and what wonderful reunions are going on in the next world.
Family is so important and I hope that my nieces and nephew will feel the importance of that also. I see what importance the Lord's plans of families being linked together really is. "FAMILY" What a wonderful word!! I love my family!!