Life is fragile

A lot is going through my mind and this next blog post was going to be about 4th of July, Patrick, etc. and how life somehow goes on even if we don't want it to after a life changing trial in our lives.  But, that's for another day.  Right now I just want to say how grateful I am for the knowledge of eternal families.  Yesterday afternoon I got the news that my aunt Jani had passed away.  She's had heart problems for a long time and has been fighting for a lot of years but it was still unexpected.  Another blow to the family.  Neither her nor my dad were very old.  So, my heart goes out to all of my cousins but especially to my cousins in the Randall family.  The feelings of pain from losing a loved one are still raw and fresh and something I wish no one had to go through.  How nice it will be to finally have this trial of life over with and to feel like you've lived your life the best you could so that you can be with your families forever.  I hate these wake-up calls that are coming a lot lately, but I'm grateful that they make me really think about how I could be better.   

Julie(mom), Brett, Trent, Bart, Jani

Jani will be missed.  She was, as my mom put it, a spiritual, loving, kind-hearted person that had an endless amount of energy.  She had a zest for life and a fierce love for everyone she met.  I'm sure her and my dad are being great missionaries who are loving being free of physical ailments.  As hard as it is, I know they're doing great work on the other side.

I'm constantly being reminded how fragile this life is.  How naive we are thinking we have all the time in the world to be better when really there's no better time to try your hardest than the present.  I want the same thing my dad wanted when he wrote this in his journal(after talking about how his priorities are changing as he gets older).   

  

 "Well, I hope I haven’t been too morbid, talking about the inevitable passing to the other side as if it is in the near future.  I’m totally hoping and expecting to live to a ripe old age and having many years with my family.  But I want to be more prepared when it does happen.  I want my family to be with me, not just here but there also.  I want to take a strong and abiding testimony with me.  I want to be able to say I passed the test with an A-that I was as valiant in this life as we are told we were in the preexistence in order for us to be here in the first place.  In that life, we were all on the Lord’s side.  We loved Him and were willing to come to earth in order to gain a body so we could return to Him.  My age has hopefully made me wiser.  I hope to be even wiser in the future, so the Lord can welcome me with open arms and say, “Welcome home.  I’ve missed you.”  I know the Lord lives.  I know He loves me and my family.  I know He wants us to be with Him.  And I want it, too."

  So, to my dad and to Jani, if you're watching over us right now, I hope you know how much you are loved and missed.  And, I hope I can always remember what a blessing it is to be here, and that no matter how hard things are, this life is still a precious gift that passes faster than we realize.