Fathers...

Fathers! They come in an amazing array of sizes, shapes and colors. Some are tall and thin. Some are short and stout. Many come in various assortments and combinations that lie anywhere in between!

I love my own Father. Though he is gone from this earth, he is far from forgotten. He was the guiding force that helped shape my life and defined who I am today. I remember his quiet guidance in the background when I was a little girl. To me he could do no wrong. He always made me feel like I was his little raye of sunshine! When I was struggling through those up and down days of being a teen-ager, he loomed tall and sometimes threatening. But, still he regarded me as an important part of his life. When I was an adult, my dad and I had many conversations about life and what it had meant to him to be my Father. And he was an example of a good son because he always treated his own Father with respect and love. He was a good Dad!

I watch (and have watched) the Fathers of my own children. Gerry was the best! Oh, how he loved his children! He struggled, just like I did, through the diaper years, the toddler years, the young child years and even the pre-teen and teen years. But, when they became adults, well, that is where he shined as a Father! He loved to relate to them on a new level -- a more equal level. It was a transition that was a joy to behold.

Dean shines when his sons are around him. There is nothing he wouldn't give or sacrifice for either one of them. He truly is a Dad.

This brings me to the best Father of them all, our Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father. He is there whenever I need Him -- all I have to do is call on Him. He blesses me beyond anything that I deserve. He gets me through tough times, lifts my heart when it is troubled, and through His Son, Jesus Christ, I am blessed with the knowledge that death has been concurred and each and every one of us will receive an eternal glory in the hereafter. I love my Heavenly Father.

I hope and pray that all of the Dads out there had a wonderful day celebrating your honorable title. God bless each and every one of you.

"I Wonder Where We'd Be Today..."

I woke up this morning (well, my morning! Actually it was 1:00 pm!) and thought about this day in history--fifty-two years ago today. There is sunshine today, just as there was sunshine on that day and for that I am grateful.

Fifty-two years ago, I married Gerald Vernon Henderson in the Los Angeles Temple. I do not regret that decision. We shared twenty-two years together, raised 5 amazing children, and traveled a very interesting road. I miss him! I will always miss him.

Someone asked me the other day, "Does it get any easier as time passes?" My answer then and now is yes and no. Yes, the festering wound that death leaves on our heart does heal over time. And no, because the yearning to know where we'd be today if he had lived never goes away.

I do have parts of him still with me. I see him in our son Mark's clear blue eyes. I experience him in our daughter, Kim's firmness. I hear his words sometimes come out of the mouth of our daughter, Debi. I see his face mirrored in the face of our daughter, JerriAnne. And I witness his amazing love in the hugs of our daughter, Heather. He left me this legacy and I guard them all with every fiber of my being.

I feel his warmth like a thick, warm blanket wrap around me whenever I am troubled, and I want to just keep it there forever. Every day, in many ways, I feel his closeness and sometimes I ask, "What would Gerry do in this situation?" That keeps me heading in the right direction.

So, today I am wishing "us" a Happy Anniversary. I love you Gerry! I always will.