Happy Halloween and Birthday!

Today is my Grandma Fern's birthday. She died when I was going to BYU in 1974. I always associate Halloween with this special person in my life. I remember when she passed away how sad my Mom was. I had never really seen my Mother be so emotional about something. She was really close to her and it was a shock when she died at home in her sleep. It took her kids a whole year before they would even go through her house. Yesterday as Mindi and I were out running errands we were talking and I was wondering if losing Kamber will ever get easier? I remember what a shock it was when my Grandma died, just like it was when we got the call about Kamber. I think that was a turning point in my life. Until then, I really hadn't experienced the death of anyone close to me. They say that "time heals all wounds" so I'm hoping that as the time goes by it won't be as painful and sad as it has been. I know that life isn't all lollipops and rainbows. The sad thing about it is that until something is gone, you really don't appreciate what you have. I know I take everything for granted. I just expect things to go right for me. We live in a little bubble where we go to church and try to serve where we are needed, but sometimes I think we really don't know how bad it is out there. Life is brutal. Being married is hard. Raising children isn't a "walk in the park." At my age I'm wondering when the next trial is going to hit. That is one lesson I learned from my Grandma. She was always smiling. I have never met such a happy person since. She had some really hard challenges in her life. She outlived three husbands, all with poor health. I never heard her say an unkind thing about anyone, even the lawyers that lied about her in court and took away all her land and money. I definitely didn't get the DNA for positive and happy thinking from her. But, I will claim her as my example, my friend and hope to remember her life and try to be more like her. If I could be half the grandma she was I will be happy.