REMEMBERING SHARON PART 2

Thank you for all your kind responses and wonderful cards and notes. We as a family are having a wonderful time remembering too. We hope you enjoy the slides, if you want to view the entire slideshow click on "VIEW ALL IMAGES" and when you get to the link click on SLIDESHOW in the upper right hand cornor, and enjoy some wonderful memories of this incredible woman (no bias here!). As for the rest of us we are doing well, Greg and family and Stephanie and family will be returning to their homes on the weekend. We are greatful for our knowledge of "God's Plan of Happiness" and we continue to "MOVE FORWARD WITH FAITH."

Jon's Talk is included Below.

MOM

William Shakespeare once wrote: All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.

The first stage in my life began before I was born. Mom and the doctors truly believed I was going to be a girl. Mom already had 2 sons and was excited to get her first beautiful girl. I can only imagine her shocking and open-mouthed expression when Dad welcomed their 3rd son into the world. Naturally, this didn’t stop Mom. She grew my hair out, put it in pony tails, and gave me dolls to play with. Most of you are probably saying to yourselves, “That explains everything.”

As I grew a few years older, I put away the dolls and thankfully moved onto sports. The 2nd stage I remember is the soccer stage. My older brothers both played on the Milwaukee Kicks and I could hardly wait until I was old enough. Finally I was and became part of the team. I remember one year after we had moved to California playing in a Regional playoff game. It was intense and the winner would play in the Rose Bowl. Our team unfortunately lost in double overtime and as we made our way to the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of my dad running after the referees red-faced and ready to do damage; however, true to form, Mom was able to chase him down and stop him before he would do something he would later regret. This would become Mom’s calling card. She always was there to stop any of us before we made a bad decision or do something we would later regret.

Which brings me to the teen-age years: 3rd stage. All 3 boys were in high school at the same time which brought its own set of challenges. Mom, however, was at almost every game and every play. She got up with my dad every morning before seminary to feed us breakfast and read from the scriptures. My dad loved to cook bacon and eggs and my mom loved to let him. I learned to read and love the scriptures but most importantly, I learned the lesson of sacrifice. My mom loved to sleep so I knew that her presence at the breakfast table at 5:30 in the morning was a huge sacrifice for her. She always put herself last and everyone else’s needs first. Even last Saturday, as she lay in the hospital bed suffering, she suddenly turned to me and asked, How I was doing? This typified my mom’s entire life.

The 4th stage was my missionary years. My mom loved the Lord and knew what service meant. In every calling she received from Relief Society President to Seminary Teacher to Primary Chorister, she magnified it and trusted in the Lord and therefore became the best “fill in the blank” there ever was. Because of this, she knew that there wasn’t anything better I could be doing than dedicating 2 years of my life to serve the people of the Canary Islands. All four sons served missions and I’m sure she was sad to see them go knowing that 2 years would indeed be a long time; however, the lesson that she instilled in us was the same as King Benjamin when he declared, “When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your Lord.”

The 5th stage was my first years of marriage. I student taught at Laguna Hills High School and Mom and Dad were gracious enough to open their home to us. We lived there that year with our newborn baby girl, Jamie who is now almost 12 years old. I learned a lot that year as a young father as Mom would not only give me advice about marriage and sacrifice but show me through example what being an eternal partner and parent was all about. Many days I would catch her with Jamie on her lap reading to her one of her favorite books: I’ll Love You Forever. I truly believe that the mother in that book was indeed my mother as she: “Held her new granddaughter and very slowly rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held her, she sang:
I'll love you forever,I'll like you for always,As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
I can say with 100% accuracy that Mom never broke that promise.
The 6th stage was Nana Camp. One week long every year where Nana invited all the grandkids to her home and entertained them for a week. This was my kids’ favorite week in the whole year. It wasn’t just a babysitting week. It was full of activities from sunup to sundown. My mom had an endless supply of energy. To this day, I have no idea where she found the reserves. As I kid, I never remember her telling me she was too tired to play a game with me or read me a book or sing me a song. And she displayed this energy for the grandkids all week long. She put on costumes, taught them crafts, was the dolphin the pool, taught the kids how to swim, and of course at night would lay with them and watch movies. We told my dad that it would now have to become Paga Camp and he almost fainted on the spot because he saw first-hand how much effort Mom would put into that week.
The 7th stage was this past year. Like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz, Mom displayed courage that I have never seen. Even in pain and suffering, Mom would brighten up the room and be on center stage. I never heard her complain one time knowing that Heavenly Father had a plan and trusted in Him. All of us were able to have a lot of time with her one-on-one this past year and those times were precious. My wife said it best when she remarked after having her own time with her, “Mom saw the best in everyone and knew their potential and through words and actions, helped each and everyone one of us see and realize that potential.” That was a great gift my mom had. She made you feel like you were the best person in the world. She made you feel special.
One of Mom’s favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption. Hope is the central theme throughout that movie. Hope was the central theme throughout Mom’s life. Just like Tim Robbins in the movie, Mom always made the best out of every situation that was thrown her way. She had hope that with the right attitude, things could and would get better. This hope grew into faith and ultimately into knowledge. She knew where she came from, why she was here, and where she was going. At the end of the movie, after learning this same valuable lesson of hope, Morgan Freeman says, “I hope I can cross the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it is in my dreams. I hope.”
Just like Mom, my hope has also become knowledge and therefore I know there is no end to this strange eventful history. There is no last or ultimate stage. Shakespeare got it wrong.
I know I will cross the veil. I know I will see my mom and hug her tight. I know that heaven will be as beautiful as it is in my dreams. I know.
And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ….Amen