Heather

Last Monday Josh's cousin passed away. She was very young, only 32 with two young kids and a loving husband. She had been battling breast cancer for a couple of years. She faught very very hard! We attended the viewing, funeral, and burrial on Saturday. I think we all had a hard time. I haven't been to many funerals in my life and I don't really have much to compare it to, but I don't think I deal particularly well with death. I know that sounds funny, who really does, right? The only other funerals I have been to recently and that I can really remember were for older people who had lived a long life and so death didn't seem quite as tragic. All week Josh and I had been thinking about and praying for Heather's family and this gloomy feeling just felt crushing whenever I thought about it. I was anticipating that feeling to multiply during Saturday's events and was nervous because I hate crying in front of people. It was amazing though to enter the church building where the service was being held and to just feel this overwhelming peace and calm and almost joy at truly celebrating a life lived to the fullest. There was a beautiful display of pictures of Heather, her wedding dress, some scrapbook pages she had done, games and books she loved, and lots of purple, her favorite color. Then during the service, her family members spoke about her good nature, loving spirit, and humorous personality. I think I laughed and cried harder than I had in a long time. It was amazing to feel the Spirit so strongly there as her family members exercised and shared their faith of eternal families with us. It is a principle of the Gosple of Jesus Christ that I have never doubted and so I always assumed I had a strong testimony of it. However, after Saturday my knowledge and understanding has multiplied by a million. It was so beautiful to sing Heather's favorite hymns and primary songs that spoke of conquering death, and of the second coming of the Savior, and to know in my heart that those things are true. All of Heather's family did such an amazing job at sharing stories about Heather and their testimonies. We were invited over later for a family dinner. Although I wished it were under better circumstances it was so great to be able to see those I knew again and to meet the rest of the family. They are truly amazing people and I enjoyed so much talking and getting to know them better. That night while Josh and I were driving home we were talking and recaping the whole day. I was telling him how I was sad I didn't really get a chance to know Heather very well. I had met her for the first time at my bridal shower, and then didn't see her again until Adrianne's, and only saw her a handful of times since then. It's incredible though, how much a great person like that can have such on impact on others, like me, who only barely got to know them. I was also thinking about all of the stories and talks I've heard where people tell about these amazing people they know, who just sound unreal because of how good they are, and I've often wondered who are these people?! And then it struck me that Heather is one of those people, and then I felt this overwhelming gratitude that I even got to meet her and talk to her and know as much as I did about her. I just felt, and feel, so very prilivged.