Losing Loved Ones

As I get older I know these kinds of things will happen more and more... but I woke up this morning to some truly tragic news about Megan Smith, a girl that I babysat when I was in high school.  She passed away after a four month battle with Leukemia that was discovered hours before giving birth to her first little baby who was taken away from her to begin immediate treatment. The story of Megan is particularly tragic because of her youth but also because she has always been a joyful soul.  Her siblings are unique and tremendous people, her older brother Nathan being a wonderful friend to me when we were both in the youth program.

Her mom, Pam, has been special to me since the moment I met her.  When I was 15 and went to church for the first time, Pam was there giving a lesson on the importance of journals.  Something about her, the way she talked, the way she laughed, the way she explained things just made me fall in love with her.  I eventually started babysitting her kids, more than anything as an opportunity to just hang out with her family.  Each time I go home to Sonora I get a chance to visit with her and we have developed a special relationship over the years.  I can't tell you enough how much she means to me.

I could also say a lot about her husband Doug --  He is a judge and it suits him perfectly.  He is wise and balanced, kind and loving, and believes in fairness.  Doug would sometimes send me cassette tapes on my mission chatting about this and that-- in Spanish--to encourage me on my mission.  He also wrote me a letter of recommendation that helped me get some scholarships and acceptance into BYU.  He has taken to baking a particular kind of cookies for our family each time we visit Sonora and I will always enjoy his clever thinking and sense of humor. I hope to see them at Thanksgiving.

I love Doug and Pam tremendously and I hope they feel love and peace as they fight the sadness this inevitably brings to them.  They were so proud of their special daughter and truly this will be an lasting pain for them.  My prayer is that their sorrow will be quieted by a hope of a world to come that is without physical pain or sadness.