11.30.2008

Mom traveled to Salt Lake for her assignment this morning and returned to go to their ward. Dad remained home resting and visiting with Marty's family and Anthony. Gentry went over early this afternoon and dad asked him to take him over to Pleasant Grove to deliver some things to Hugh. Dad wanted to take his car but Gentry declined because he did not feel comfortable driving a stick shift, dad told him "that's okay, just let me drive". Gentry responded saying "Grandma would kill me, grandpa; we'll just go in the truck." Dad enjoyed the ride and the opportunity of seeing a friend.

Dad and Gentry had a very interesting conversation today where dad shared with him some things that he has not shared with anyone in regards to the heart attack he suffered while serving as a Bishop at BYU. While dad was performing interviews with ward members he began feeling chest pressure but he just kept putting it off thinking that it would go away, as it persisted dad heard a voice tell him to seek help, dad ignored this prompting and kept interviewing. Again he heard the voice telling him "you are in trouble, get help", dad explained that he "knew" the voice; it was familiar to him. Dad shared with Gentry that the voice he heard that day was the voice of his mother admonishing him to seek medical attention, the tone his mother spoke in was the same tone she used in his adolescence when he appeared to be ignoring her counsel or instructions. Each of us have known what took place that day in dad's office at BYU yet he had never shared with us whose voice it was that prompted him to get to the hospital that day. Gentry was the recipient of a most tender mercy this day.

Matt's family came by this evening to visit with mom and and dad as well as the Home Teachers. Gentry and I arrived early this evening so that I could prepare dad's medications for the week, we had a great time visiting with the kids while mom and dad were occupied. As mom and dad joined us our conversation centered around mom's Christmas tree. Dad captured Madison's intrigue as he emotionally paid tribute to his dear mother for the magnificent beauty of the special ornaments she had crocheted and finished just days prior to her death on Thanksgiving Day over 20 years ago. It was at this moment that I profoundly realized how much my father must miss his mother and yearns for her to tell him "things will be alright".

Our Father in Heaven's design of family is simply divine; regardless of age or the distance between a child and their mother each maintains a heavenly connection of nurturing, tenderness, consoling, and infinite love. Through his revealing words today our father has demonstrated his never-ending love and longing for our grandmother.