I'm feeling a combination of sadness, anticipation and wonder right now. Mother's time is drawing to a close and I weep as I write this, even as I rejoice that she and Dad will finally be together again. Mother has said repeatedly that she doesn't know why the Lord has kept her here so long. I don't have an answer for her, but for our sakes, I'm glad she has lived these many years and I feel blessed every time I think about her influence in my life.
I was one day of 16 when I got married. I had met Mother only a few times and we really didn't know each other at all. I know that she and Dad were heartbroken when they got into Larry's room one night and found the note he'd left telling them of our whereabouts and our plans. They went to see the bishop who told them there were a lot of things worse than getting married. Mother and Dad decided right then that they would support our decision. Surely they must have worried and wept and wondered, especially since our decision eliminated the hopes they had for their son to serve a mission and marry a nice Mormon girl. It wasn't long before I became that girl, but in the meantime and forever after we never felt anything from them but support.
The evening of our wedding (we were in Salt Lake City after a fruitless but mad dash to Las Vegas) Larry called his parents. They both got on the phone. Mother said to me, "You are our daughter now and we love you." I felt something touch my heart and I think that right then I began to love her in return. Now that I have grown children of my own, I marvel at Mother's and Dad's commitment to stand by us no matter what. They spent the rest of their lives teaching by example and showing us all what real love is all about.
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