This morning I glanced in the local newspaper at the obituaries.
A beautiful face caught my attention.
A beautiful young face.
I sat down at my parent's sunny kitchen table and read a gorgeous
reflection of a young mother who recently died of breast cancer.
My heart ached as I read.
I ached for her four young children, her parents, and her siblings.
I felt for her friends and the many, many people who
she touched by her magnificent life.
But mostly, I ached for her husband because now his
companion and best friend are gone.
While reading her obituary, I discovered that
Denise Neish had kept a blog during her years
of struggling with cancer.
I spent most of my morning reading her beautifully written entries
full of wisdom beyond her years.
I was particularly touched and inspired when she said
in her last post, written on February 23rd:
"When I focus on the life of my Savior Jesus Christ,
I give Him the opportunity to heal my spirit.
He suffered both body and spirit, and therefore,
is the only one who can truly know how I feel and what I need.
When I think of Him I feel strengthened, happy,
and even grateful and loved in a very real and tangible way.
I can look at life from the perspective that I have terminal cancer.
I am not winning the battle, and there is nothing I can do about that,
and I feel cheated of future time with my family.
That is one perspective. The perspective I choose is:
I have a happy marriage with a wonderful husband to whom
I am sealed for eternity in the temple. I have four beautiful and happy
children who are becoming just what I had hoped they would become.
I feel confident in a happy after-life and know that
my whole family will eventually be there with me. I have friends and am shown
love from others every single day. I am here right now,
and I can do what I choose to do with my time.
Out of those two true perspectives, that is the one I have chosen."
***
I was grateful to feel uplifted and strengthened by a woman I had never met.
And I feel for the many who are missing her.
Thank you so much, Denise, for your perspective on life.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Teachings from RMN:
Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You, October 2012
Some of you may feel that life is busy and frenetic,
yet down deep in your heart you feel a gnawing emptiness,
without direction or purpose. Ask the missionaries! They can help you!
They can help you to learn more about the true purpose
of life—why you are here on earth and where you are going after death.
You can learn how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ
will bless your life beyond anything you can presently even imagine.
