Life goes on.

I am heavy at heart today. President Gordon B. Hinckley, the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, passed away yesterday evening. I had never met President Hinckley personally, but I felt like I knew him. He always seemed so personable and "real" to me. I felt like he understood the struggles that we have as Latter-Day Saints in this world.

I will miss his sweet sense of humor. I will miss his addressing us in conference. Whenever President Hinckley spoke and encouraged us to "be a little better", I always felt that I could. I wanted to. I am encouraged by the fact that he is reunited with his sweet, cute wife. I loved his wife so much. I always thought that those two were the cutest couple alive. I love the video of the mothers and daughters of the First Presidency, it's so funny. We have lost our dear prophet only for a season, we will surely continue to be blessed as we follow the example of his life and his ministry. Godspeed President Gordon B. Hinckley.

I had another friend pass away yesterday morning. Her name was Sharon Schafer. I have known Sharon for about 15 years. We met at work and at first I thought that she didn't like me. I came to know later that it was my office mate that she didn't care too much for. That was Sharon. She was a twice divorced woman who never had any children but, she always had a dog. She loved her dogs like children. I wonder how Tucker is doing now that his Mom is gone.

Sharon lived a very unassuming life and didn't venture out of her comfort zone too much to let people get to know her. I made her my personal friend by including her in my life as much I possibly could. Sharon was diagnosed with multiple myeloma almost two years ago to the day. She was very afraid of the diagnosis and more afraid that she would die. This all came about as we were having struggles in our own family. I decided to serve Sharon as best I could by taking her to doctor's appointments, hospital procedures, lab work, grocery store, pharmacy, you name it. I wanted her to feel that she was not alone and that people did indeed care for her. Now, let me qualify that by saying that Sharon didn't make that easy as she was fiercely independent. She didn't want to impose or have to say that she needed help. She was, however, always grateful for the help that she did receive.

Many times I had the opportunity to assure her that she indeed had a Heavenly Father that loved her. I'm not sure that she believed it since she felt like she was being punished for something that she did. Sharon didn't grow up religous and I had the opportunity to share with her the gospel at different times. She ultimately rejected it but didn't want to tell me because she thought that she would offend me.

Long story short, I had been thinking about Sharon all weekend thinking that I needed to call her and planned to do so this morning. I hadn't talked to her in a couple of weeks. Sharon would have been 63 in the next few weeks. I take comfort in knowing that she is free from the pain and that she finally has the opportunity to reconcile with her mother and get to know her Heavenly Father and know how much He loves her.

Life goes on.