Remeber

Remember is one of the most important words.

This week I went to spend some time with my family in St. George.  Grandma Blake and I were walking to our car after swimming and in the grassy field there was a family flying a kite and I had a flash back to when I was a kid. I remembered that my mom would buy us a kite every to spring to fly.  This year our kite was a black triangle with a white triangle flap where the string clung too. This is the year I learned to fly a kite.  I am amazed at the simple-ness of flying a kite but it’s a difficult thing to do. And with that memory also came my mom’s life lessons. Grandma is an amazing woman and has a life analogy for every experience.

With the word remember we can remember where we came from, we can remember why we are here, we can remember our end goal.

We can remember our family legacy. I talked to Grandpa Blake this week and we were talking about family history.  The family history library has produced a family geneology chart and from one ancestor there are 3 descendants, 1 line of descendants are most of the church leaders, on the 2 line there are most of the American leadership, and on the third line which is our line are average people that are anchors in the community and Church.  Remember that is your legacy to be an anchor.  Anchors are used in storms to help the boat from moving. The anchor sits at the bottom of the ocean alone but knows that the captain is in charge and knows that the captain will not forget him.

Remember I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR ANCHOR to your boat and the calm in your storm.

You can remember your moms’ great love for you.  You can remember all the sacrifices that she has made for you.  You can remember that she know who each of you are meant to be.

Each of you chose your name and whispered it to me before you were born.  Each of you chose your name because you wanted to remember something in this mortal life.  And I know why each of you chose your name.  And if ever you’re interested in finding out what you wanted to remember; you can it in my red journal on page 562. You don’t need to ask permission to read it just do it.  All of my journals are for you all to read.

Remember I love you and God loves you.

Leave your heart open to remembering.

The Dash

by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

​I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on the tombstone

from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth

and spoke the following date with tears,

but he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time

that they spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved them

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,

the cars…the house…the cash.

What matters is how we live and love

and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left

that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what’s true and real

and always try to understand

​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger

and show appreciation more

and love the people in our lives

like we’ve never loved before. 

If we treat each other with respect

and more often wear a smile,

remembering that this special dash

might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,

with your life’s actions to rehash…

would you be proud of the things they say

about how you spent YOUR dash?

​​Copyright 1996 Linda Ellis

This poem was read at the beginning of my grandma Pendletons funeral in 2001. As you know my grandma’s funeral was a turning point in my life.  I really pondered “what do I want people to say about me when I die.” What do I want my kids to say about me when I die” And I changed my life, I stopped focusing on the material things that I thought were important and went to work on the real important things, relationships with people and Heavenly Father.

Be aware that people are always watching you, and your dash is always being defined.

  

   Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

   What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

  When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

   For worthy friends whose lives proclaim

I also like this song I really have been pondering the first line” Each life that touches ours for Good.  Think of the lives that have touched your life; family, friends, leaders, teachers, the news, song artists, the prophet that wrote scripture, ancestors that came to America…etc.  We are not lone islands and it is silly for us to think that our actions have no consequences and that our actions don’t affect anyone else, because they do.

 Take time to ponder if you were to die in one year from now, which is possible we don’t know when we will leave this world, Ponder what do you want people to say about you, what will your dash mean to others. 

How can you touch others life for good?