The Art of Mourning

I was browsing the magazine rack at the store a few days ago, and saw that Victoria Magazine had an article entitled "The Art of Mourning". I flipped through it and noticed that it was showing a collection of pendants (such as one might put on a necklace or key chain) incorporating short quotes, a lock of hair, the name and other meaningful information about the beloved no longer present in life.

Hmmn, I thought, interesting. Our culture is so very weird about this sort of thing. I've been remembering my Mother this past week, as her birthday was August 17. I saw this quote somewhere (Facebook?) and thought it described her so well: Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness to pull another hand into the light. -Norman Rice

So here's another MDS project, featuring a couple of photos from Mom's 90th birthday last year. We had an open house drop-in event, with lots of chocolate and laughter. These gorgeous flowers adorned the table. In the smaller photo, she is reaching up to pull one of her 6-foot-plus grandsons in for a hug. She spent hours praying that these children would come to know, love and serve her Savior. She was always reaching out, beyond her comfort zone, to pull others into His love.

Happy birthday, Mother. I celebrate your life and your example!

Kathy