I'm hoping that we can get through these next two days without too much sadness. Our mom's visitation is tonight from 4-6, and then the funeral is tomorrow at 11:00 (with an additional visitation time of 10-11). I'm planning to take our kids over to see their grandma at around 2:30, so they can have some quiet time with her before the crowds come.
Two of my sisters and I went over to the funeral home this morning to put the necklace we ordered on our mom. We sat with her and watched her tribute video and laughed and cried. It is such a surreal thing to see her in a casket with snapshots of her life flashing by on a nearby TV screen. I mentioned to my sisters that if anyone would have told us a week ago that this is where we'd be, none of us would have been able to believe it. Our mom is supposed to be moving to a rehab hospital where she can continue to recuperate. Curtis, Lily and I are supposed to be with Thalia and should be sleeping right now so we can get up early in the morning and drive to Foshan to visit Lily's old orphanage. My sister, J, should be teaching gymnastics. K should be home with her boys. B should be working at her law firm. My local brother-in-law should be shoveling my parents' snowing sidewalks in their absence. Instead, we're all here, our mom is gone, and friends and family are traveling through snowstorms to come and bid her goodbye.
I'm still in shock over it. It just doesn't seem real. But even though it is shocking, we feel comforted and peaceful. We feel the prayers that have been offered in our family's behalf. We know that we will live with our mom/wife/sister again one day, and that she will always be ours.
"And there were gathered together in one place an innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality... All these had departed the mortal life, firm in the hope of a glorious resurrection, through the grace of God the Father and His only Begotten son, Jesus Christ. I beheld that they were filled with joy and gladness."
Doctrine and Covenants 138:12, 14-15
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi Tana! I am a friend with Christina Schye. I wanted to chat with you about a fundraising opp that I could put together for you in the next few days in the way of a matching grant. Would you email me at magdasmom@gmail.com?
ReplyDeleteThanks!