frazzled & frumpy

On Friday, I was catapulted back to my childhood as I climbed into the car with my parents, Dad at the wheel. We picked up my older sister, Heidi, and were on our way. A five hour road trip, with licorice and Gardettos and bubbly cups of diet Coke to keep us company. There may have been some sisterly bickering, but if so, it was all Heidi's fault. The reason for the trip was the funeral for my Aunt Lanell. She was a tiny woman with a huge personality, who gave birth to 12 children, raising ten of them to adulthood. I grew up playing with her children that were my age, Lynette and Dana, and admiring their older brothers, teenagers who drove cars and played popular music on the radio.  Their house was large and well-organized. The basement was a fantasy land, with foosball and a pool table. Aunt Lanell's death was not all sad. She had Alzheimer's for the past few years. She was in her 80's. I told myself I had no reason to cry. This was a release. A passage to a new a...

I first met Lisa at stake girls camp two years ago.  I watched her as she associated with the girls and the other stake leaders.  She was energetic and fun-loving. I liked her instantly.  Six months later, she was called as our stake YW president.  I learned that in addition to her outgoing nature, she had an incredible testimony of the gospel.  She was a champion for modesty and I so envied her way of letting the girls know what was right.  She didn't hold anything back, she never held her tongue because she was worried how they would react.  But, she spoke to them with such love, that I'm sure none of them had bad feelings toward her. Last fall, Lisa was diagnosed with cancer.  I watched her as she continued to minister to the young women in our stake.  She came to our ward and taught them. She spoke in stake conference.  And then, just one month ago, she came to girls camp- with hats to cover her head, an IV to keep her nourished an...