In Heaven

That's where my mother's beautiful spirit landed today when she took flight from the narrow confines of earth. My sister Jamie was with her, holding her hand, patting her shoulder, singing to her. I'm so glad she wasn't alone at the time of her departure.

When I was a child, I never called her Mommy. It was always Mama. And when I was older, I switched to Mother. But soon after Jamie called with the news of her passsing, instinctively I cried out several times, "My Mommy is gone, my Mommy is gone!" Then thoughts of the wonderful welcome she was receiving in heaven filled me with comfort, and happiness for her. Daddy's there, my brother Jim, too, our cute Jordan, her parents, siblings, and many friends. What a party! An eternalparty! Save some nectar and ambrosia for me, Mama, I'll be coming along later.

Quite a bit later, it turns out.... unless unexpected developments await. I kept another New Year's resolution yesterday by having an appointment with my local oncologist. It'd been awhile since I'd seen him. I could not bring myself to go back to that clinic where Jordan had had to spend so much time, until I was strong enough to handle it. Everyone was very kind, my blood work looked good, I'm doing great! The doc asked if I wanted to come back in a year or in six months. Just to be really nice, and to help keep him in plenty of vacation and investing money, I said I'd come back in six months. Party party for me! I know this stubborn old CLL, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, is slowly, slowly scheming to take over my bone marrow, but in the meantime I am enjoying my life. We talked about which drugs to use next time to knock it down, when it comes out swinging again.

Back to heaven for a moment, here's a heavenly thought to ponder from President Lorenzo Snow:
"Think of the promises that are made to you in the beautiful and glorious ceremony that is used in the marriage covenant in the temple. When two Latter-day Saints are united together in marriage, promises are made to them concerning their offspring, that reach from eternity to eternity. They are promised that they shall have the power and the right to govern and control and administer salvation and exaltation and glory to their offspring worlds without end. And what offspring they do not have here, undoubtedly there will be opportunities to have them hereafter. What else could man wish? A man and a woman in the other life, having celestial bodies, free from sickness and disease, glorified and beautified beyond description, standing in the midst of their posterity, governing and controlling them, administering life, exaltation, and glory, worlds without end” (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, 138).

My worthy, faithful parents will always be my parents, my siblings my siblings, my husband my husband, our children our children, and so on and on. Worlds and worlds of family without end. Gloria in excelsis Deo!