granny

This past weekend we made a [very] quick trip up to Utah for a funeral.

Tim's grandma's funeral, to be exact.

Or as I always knew her, Granny.

I loved Granny from the moment I met her, but I never got to know her very well.

Until this weekend.

This weekend, I got to hear all about her.

How she was one of twelve children.
How she had seven children [including one child who died very young]. 
How she had grandchildren and great-grandchildren and even one great-great-grandchild.
How much her family was a priority to her.
How loved she was by all who knew her.
How much she loved the gospel of Jesus Christ.
How she always told people about the Book of Mormon because she had such faith in it.
How everyone knew she believed in God, Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and eternal families.
How everyone there considered her to be an example of faith and courage.

I wonder if she realized what an impact she had on everyone around her.  It was incredible to me to think that all of her family, who drove such distances to honor this incredible woman, were there because Granny and Papa made a decision many years ago to get married and have children and be so active in their religion.  I'm sure when they got married it was difficult to imagine how many lives they would be bringing into the world and how many lives would be touched by that.  But they know now.  And someday, we'll have the chance to thank them.

This weekend was one of those experiences that brings tears to your eyes, makes your chest burn, and encourages you to be a better person.  It was one of those experiences that makes you decide to rearrange some priorities in your life to make room for the better.  And it was one of those experiences that reaffirms your testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of how important it is to live it.

And I think that's just how Granny would have wanted it.