All in One Week

My mom passed away Monday, we had her funeral on Wednesday, it was my parent's 45th wedding anniversary on Friday, and it's my mom's birthday today.

I needed to organize the funeral quickly. My brother, Kenneth, had to fly back to Texas with his family at 4:00 am Thursday morning. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to make a flight back if we did the funeral a week later and I couldn't bear the thought of Kenneth not being able to come back for the services. Just seconds after my mom's passing, I was on the phone with the funeral director, my parent's Bishop, their Relief Society president, calling family, and posting the date and time of the services before I even knew the mortuary could accommodate. I took my dad to the funeral home Tuesday and we spent most of the morning and afternoon getting everything together for the next day. I purchased a lapel/tie tack for my dad that has my mom's finger print on it.

The thought of my dad being alone on his wedding anniversary just two days after mom's funeral was heat-breaking. They usually do a temple session each year as part of their anniversary. I was honored to take my mom's place with my dad and go to the Provo City Center Temple with him. (This temple was dedicated two days after my mom's birthday in 2016.)

After the temple, I got my dad some lunch and we returned back to my house. Dad entertained the kids, especially Kaylee and Millie. He read them stories and played board games. I was so glad to have him with us. To top the evening off, I grabbed us all some Chinese take-out (Moms favorite food) and we watched the movie, Wonder (one of those movies that makes you laugh and cry and leave feeling more determined to be a better person). My dad loved it! I knew he would and I knew it was the exact kind of movie my mom would have chosen. It really was a perfect day.

Today is mom's birthday. To honor her, I have the fire opal around my neck that she bought me from her Caribbean cruise in January of this year. (That cruise was a gift from her foster family and I'm so glad she got to take it with dad.) In Relief Society, we're discussing two talks from this last conference. I have no doubt she would have chosen these herself. It has truly been a week Divine intervention and miracles! Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you! https://www.lds.org/general-conferen…/…/10/by-divine-design… and https://www.lds.org/…/20…/10/has-the-day-of-miracles-ceased

Tonight, I'm driving with Joseph up to my parent's house so my dad is not alone on mom's birthday. A few of his neighbors have planned a surprise party and will show up with cake and ice cream a little after I arrive. I want to stop by mom's grave today and place some flowers. Maybe we can go up a little earlier in order to do that.

It's so crazy how fast life can change in the blink of an eye. I've been listening to a CD these last few days by Brent L. Top called "What's On The Other Side". My cousin, Elizabeth, gave it to me the day after the funeral.

“I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separate from them. … We are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors … who have preceded us into the spirit world. We can not forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we can not break. … If this is the case with us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses, … how much more certain it is … to believe that those who have been faithful, who have gone beyond … can see us better than we can see them; that they know us better than we know them. … We live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us; … their love for us and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves." - Joseph F. Smith

-Alicia


---------
We were able to stop by my mom's burial spot just before visiting my dad on her birthday. The headstone had not been placed yet. We brought some artificial flowers to lay down on top of the ones from the services last week.

(I think it's more than coincidence that in my ward's Sacrament Mtg. and in Dad's ward too, the closing hymn was "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" (the same hymn we sang around my mom's hospital bed as she passed away and the same hymn we had at the close of her funeral). To me, it was mom's way of showing me how very alive her spirit still is.... Because my Savior lives, she lives also.

Happy Birthday, Mom 3-18-2018