Passed On

The fourth question is 'Think of some relatives that have passed away in the last few years.  What would they be doing right now if they were with you?'  Relatives that have passed away in the last few years - Aunt Judy would qualify for that and I will go ahead and add Grandma Vi to this because first, there aren't many others to add to the list and second, I love Grandma Vi and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her, the thought of having time with her right now brings me great joy. 

Chances are if I was with Aunt Judy right now I would also be with Grandma Vi.  Whatever the case would be one thing is for certain, we would be laughing.  One of my first memories of Aunt Judy dates back to a very long time ago.  I don't even know where we were living. For some reason I was a passenger in Grandma Vi's car driving across the State of Nevada.  My guess is that we were on I-80 heading towards Salt Lake City. We got a flat tire on that trip and someone stopped and helped Grandma fix it after a little wait.  I remember the car being jacked up.  After getting back on the road we eventually ended up at Aunt Judy's house, the same house she lived in all of her life.  It was late when we arrived and I didn't really know who these people were that I was meeting but they were nice and they had a couch bed.  I had never seen one of those before and thought it was pretty amazing that a bed could come out of a couch and, and, I got to sleep on that couch bed.  In the morning I would meet things called cousins but I didn't know what that was. 

Aunt Judy was a nurse by trade and I remember being grateful for that.  A couple of entries ago I mentioned a house in Carson City as a young boy where I had an accident jumping a bike and having the rod from a broken pedal go into my leg.  It was a pretty good puncture wound .  I ran home very scared and it just so happened that Aunt Judy was visiting.  She took me into the bathroom and got me all cleaned up.  A real life saver that Aunt Judy was.  

Aunt Judy was always fun to be around.  I took merit badge classes from her for scouts and always enjoyed getting together as family at her house.  It didn't seem to matter what was happening I could always count on smiling and laughing when I was around my Aunt Judy.  If we were together on this very day we might be doing something strange as a family like playing butt charades.  Surely we would be eating something delicious.

Grandma Vi was always one of my favorite people to be around. Here to we would be laughing about something.  Or she would be sitting quietly doing something while a ball game was on or we would be trying our hand at wheel of fortune or jeopardy. This great woman of faith always impressed me.  I remember at her funeral my cousin Jeff spoke and said she had quiet tenacity.  That she did.  At this very moment if she were here we would probably be talking about her great granddaughter entering the MTC today and how wonderful that is.  One thing is for certain, no matter what we would be doing today tomorrow morning she would be up early preparing breakfast and we would sit down and eat her famous breakfast casserole.

To have another day with those we love, those who have passed on, would be a wonderful blessing.  The thought of that type of a reunion and the joy that would exist there is a happy thought.  Fortunately through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ordinances of the Temple we can be sealed to our families and should we live worthily we will be reunited with them in the Celestial Kingdom.  I am grateful for these wonderful women that I learned from and loved and look forward to a day when we actually will have precious time together once more.