When someone you love becomes a memory...

the memory becomes a treasure. This blog is dedicated to my wonderful grandmother, Thelma Hilda Ringdahl Webb Nov 6, 1919-January 28, 2011. I don't really know what to say about my grandma, she was just so wonderful. I have so many amazing memories of her, with her. I am fortunate enough to look like my grandma. She was a beautiful woman. She had so many trials in her life, losing her husband and daughter over 50 years ago being the tip of the iceberg. She always seemed so happy and positive, and she was, but today I was reading a book that my cousin put together a couple of years ago that has the history of my grandma and grandpa and it had some journal entries from her. I always guessed she was lonely, 51 years is a long time to be alone. But seeing her entries, so many riddled with "lonesome" was heartbreaking. My grandparents were so in love and had such cute memories. I wish I could have seen them together. Tomorrow at her funeral I will be reading a parable with four of my cousins:

A Parable for Mothers
The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than those years. So she played with her children and gathered flowers for them along the way and bathed them in clear streams, and the sun shone on them, and life was good, and the young Mother said, "Nothing will be lovelier than this."
Then night came, and the storm, and the path was dard, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are neard, and we know no harm can come," and the Mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary, but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars, and said, "This is a better day than the last for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."
And the next day came and strange clouds darkened the earth- clouds of war and hate and evil. The children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up. Life your eyes to the lgiht." And the children looked and saw above the coulds an everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brough them beyond the darkenss. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."
And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother gerw old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their Mother, and when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill and beyond the hill htey could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.
And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for now my children can walk alone and their children after them.
And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gaves." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after. And they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with us still."

This parable describes my grandma. Even when times got tough, she showed such amazing strength. She raised 7 wonderful children, who I am prviliged to have as aunts and uncles. She was always willing to serve others and put them before herself, no matter what she, herself was going through. She is such an amazing example. If I can be 1/100 as good as my grandma, I will be an amazing woman. I miss my grandma a lot, but she was 92 and ready to go home. I'm so grateful for the Gospel, and for the knowledge that I have that my grandma is not gone. I will see her again. I am so happy for her, that she was reunited with her beloved husband and daughter. I'm sure there was a rockin' party when she died. I don't know what I would do withough the knowledge that the Gospel gives. Life does not end with death. Death is only a gateway. A new beginning. My grandma is not gone, she is with me still. I can forever hold her memory and the memories that I treasure, close to my heart. I'm so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and the knowledge that someday I will be able to meet my aunt and my grandpa. That someday I will be with my grandma again. That knowledge makes losing her now a little easier. It gives me something to look forward to. I hope to live my life so that she can be proud of me when I see her again. When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. I love you grandma.