Are All of These Funerals Messin' With Hils?

Today I went out to run with Hilary.  I was going to have to skip my second workout that I usually do with my friends because I needed to get ready for our neighbors funeral.  As I was turning out of our neighborhood I passed one of my friends running towards me.  She turned around and started running with me.  I am sure that she didn't realize what she was doing.  I am positive that I slowed her down considerably, but it was so fun to run with her and get caught up.  It felt good to "run" with someone.  I haven't had an actual running partner for several years, and it reminded me how much I love running with other people.  That is probably why I walk with the ladies that I walk with, for that social interaction.  It started my day off really nice.  I got a way better work out than if I had gone by myself, so thanks friend.

We got home and quickly got ready to go to the funeral.  I was telling Hilary that we were going to Brother Florence's funeral.  She quickly got excited and asked if we were going to get to see Tatum.  Heart breaking.  She has done this every time that we have gone to a funeral since Tatum died.  I told her that Tatum was not going to be there.  When we got to the viewing, we just went and talked to Sister Florence and did not actually go by the casket.  As I was talking to our neighbor Hilary kept tugging on me.  I finally turned and asked her quietly what she needed.  She pointed to the casket and said, "I want to see Tatum".  I knelt down and whispered to her "That isn't Tatum".  So I lifted her up so she could see and she turned to me and laughed and said "That's Brother Florence".  What a sweetheart.  I hope that all of these funerals are not messing her up.

The funeral was a great tribute.  All five of his children spoke.  He was an amazing man.  He had planned his funeral and he said that he wanted them to each cover a gospel topic.  His son that lived in our ward for the last several years gave a great talk about repentance.  He shared an amazing story about how his dad had reacted to him in a time in his life when he was going through the repentance process.  His dad reacted in such a positive way and it made him pause and be so grateful for the atonement that has allowed repentance to be a possibility in all of our lives.  He went on to say how Satan has made us, as a society, view repentance as a negative, shameful process that is too hard and not worth the effort.   Where in reality repentance is a beautiful, cleansing, necessary, gift given to us by our Heavenly Father made possible through our Savior.  It was a fantastic talk and his dad would have been proud.

About half way through the talk Hilary looked up at me, pointed to the picture of our neighbor on the front of the program and said "He's gonna come alive again".  I smiled and said that he was.  What a smart little girl.  You can see the wheels just spinning inside her mind.  

All week since our neighbor died I have been so grateful that he was not having to suffer anymore.  I hadn't really thought too much about his kids and wife and grand kids, because I figured they felt the same.  As I was listening to all of the amazing stories and the testimony that he bore and lived it made me sad to think that his posterity would no longer have that influence directly in their lives.  It made me think of my own grandpa that died when I was 11.  I loved him dearly and I remember that void when he died.  Then I felt really sad for his kids and all of his family.  Then I thought about Tatum and Trevin and all of their lost posterity for us.  We will never get to see them get married and have kids here on earth.  The promise of raising them again in the Millenium better live up to my expectations!

On a totally different note, yesterday we got to visit with some friends of ours that were from our very first ward when we got married and lived in Provo!  They just moved back to Utah from Colorado.  It was really fun to visit with them.  It felt just like old times, except that we were having to talk over our kids!  They have 5 kids really close to our older kids ages.  They just barely found out that Tatum died a few weeks ago, so it was a little awkward that we didn't ever get to talk to them about what happened to Tatum, but there was never a quiet moment to really talk about it.  Hopefully we will get to go out with them sometime soon.

Tonight we went out to do some last minute Halloween things.  Holden and Hilary are so excited they can hardly contain themselves.  I think Holden has tried on his costume 10 times.  Hilary insisted on wearing hers to the stores tonight and keeps asking me if it is Trick or Treat time yet.

Then we stopped by to visit with some good friends for just a little bit.  Really and truly visiting with friends and their families is probably my all time favorite activity.  It does my heart good.  We are just lucky that we are surrounded by such good fun people.  One of my millions of blessings!

Overall a pretty decent day.  I had my several sad "Tatum moments", but that is to be expected and I really don't wish that away.  I love to think of her and the example that she is to all of us.  I do enjoy a good funeral.  It is always such a great reminder to live my life a little better.  I almost always leave feeling inspired to do a little better, this was no exception.  He was a pure example of doing what the Savior would want you to do.  He will be missed.