Friday, April 8, 2011

It's Never to late to.... Mourn with a Friend

I have debated on if this was the right place to start. It hit me early on as I looked through this book that I would have that opportunity if I hadn't already, it came a lot earlier than I expected and it was considerably harder than I would have thought. The book says this
" Put your arm around the sad. Visit the sick. Be the one who does something in a time of tragedy for others. Even if you are unsure that you can really help, make the effort anyway."
A few weeks ago Josh's grandmother past away, she is a wonderful woman that was always loving and kind. She treated me like family from the moment that I walked into her home for my first Hone family spaghetti dinner. All the Hone family has been nothing but loving and supportive of me from the moment that I entered their lives, I am so blessed to have married into this family. I didn't get to attend the funeral and I was devastated, I stayed home with the kids and cried and at times was angry but after Josh got home and was able to share with me the wonderful occasion that it was, we mourned together, Josh doesn't cry often, he doesn't say a lot about his feelings but I could feel his love for his family, what they mean to him and the influence that his Grandmother had on his live. It was special to see the way he mourned her death, in such a positive eternal aspect, I can not say when my Grandmother passed away that I was as graceful, I cried a lot, couldn't hardly speak at times and still I have a hard time speaking of her without having tears in my eyes, I miss her so dearly.
I was touched and inspired to be the type of person that this passage suggests. I want to move forward being a friend, just being there when people need love, support or just someone to sit next to them and listen.
Neal A Maxwell says this
" We poorly serve the cause of the lord, at times, with programmatic superficiality and by our lack of empathy for those who drift in despair."
The world is plagued with despair these day I want to be a person who has empathy and serves the way the Lord would want me to.