January 13

I've not been posting for a few days. I've felt a little scattered. This is a picture of a Temple Quilt. It is not mine, but I have one almost identical. The only difference is that mine has the Idaho Falls Temple on it, and our names, and our marriage date on it. I tried to get a picture of mine, and it just turned out fuzzy, and I've been too lazy to post another one. My Aunt Diana made this quilt for me when I got married. She must have put hours and hours - probably over 150 hours into this quilt. She made one for all of her nieces. On Wednesday, my Aunt Diana passed away unexpectedly in the Holy Land, in Jerusalem. Once again, only a week after my friend's baby burial, I was reminded of mortality and how quickly it can all be taken away. Aunt Diana was 63 and was the mother to 8 still living amazing children. She had been teaching English in China for the last few years. She walked for a little bit that morning on a tour in Jerusalem, and essentially didn't feel well, and then died. She was preparing to serve a mission with her husband. 24 years ago on the same day - January 13th (my little sister's. 1st Birthday) we buried my Grandpa Balderdash. He was 63 years old, preparing to go on a mission, when he dropped dead suddenly. His mother also died quite young the same way.....needless to say, not only do I miss my aunt, I pretty much freaked when I realized my mom is 60, and has all these same genes. You never really know....she could live for years, and I would be so delighted.....No matter what, it just reinforces how much I need to appreciate everyone around me every day while I have their association here on this earth. Just before Christmas I got to talk to my Aunt Diana on the phone. She wanted to come by and drop off a temple quilt she had made for Liz, my little sis that got married this summer. I ended up being too busy to see her, even though I felt at the time that I should make time to do so. I ignored that prompting, and I sorely regret it now. I guess it is all of that weighing in on me that has made me a little numbed. I am grateful that I have another day to try harder to listen and obey the directions I receive from above.