In sickness and in health

About a week ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with a little oven next to me. David was clinging to me, crying, and burning with fever. Since he had appeared perfectly healthy a few hours earlier, I knew this was no little cold. David is usually pretty strong and healthy except when he is not. Come wintry morning we went off to a nearby medical office to seek help. The building looked a little familiar to me as we drove up. The interior was even more familiar. Then I remembered, this was the office of the Doctor I went to when expecting my first child, while Sheldon and I were students. The elder Doctor Heath was retired, but his son now worked in this same clinic. In due time the doctor saw David, checking him thoroughly, prescribing antibiotics, moist air and a week away from mission service. A whole week? By evening David was truly miserable with a raging fever and achy body and racking cough. He asked me to get his sweet cousin to give him a blessing. Dear man was getting ready for bed but dropped everything and came to David's bedside and gave him a sweet blessing of peace, comfort and health. The fever immediately dropped and David had a peaceful night. It took a few days, but he is all better now and gets to return to work tomorrow.

Because of David's illness I didn't work for a few days myself. I made myself useful, and kept David entertained and medicated, but Friday, when I thought he was well enough to be alone, I went back to the Family History library. It was amazing how much I had missed it. Such a lovely spirit there. A fellow missionary brought in her harp and played Christmas music off and on all day. Things are pretty slow this time of year, but still we have some patrons come in who need help. Early afternoon two ladies came in together, in Salt Lake on business from the nation's capital. One knew exactly what she wanted to find out and where to look. The other said, "You won't be able to help me. I don't know anything about my family." I convinced her that we could at least give it a try. With very little effort we were able to find her grandfather, his family, her grandmother and her family 2 or three generations back. With each record we uncovered she sat and wept, apologizing for the display of emotion, but so moved by the discovery of family. Through her tears she thanked me over and over again for my help. As she left the library she took some great information and the address of the family history center in Washington DC to continue her search.

Her experience got me thinking about my wonderful family here and the family members who preceded me and have gone on to bigger and better things. I have been born of goodly parents, who were themselves born of goodly parents. I have ancestors who gave up everything, including their lives, to follow the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. My life is so blessed because of them and the difficult choices they made so long ago. My dear husband and I are blessed with six beautiful children who have all grown into wonderful adults in spite of my often flawed parenting. I have (almost) twelve of the cutest grandkids on the planet. I have brothers and sisters, more nieces and nephews and cousins than I can count. I am grateful for them all. More than that, I have the hope of these relationships enduring beyond this life. Christmas time is wonderful in so many ways, but I'm most touched by the gift of life and Eternal life, including Eternal Families, brought into the world by our Savior, whose birth we celebrate now.