A little over a week ago the Prophet of our church, President Russell M. Nelson, spoke to us regarding “The Healing Power of Gratitude”. He began by saying, “As a doctor I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. . . . I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems.” He then encouraged not only the members of our church, but people worldwide to post on social media every day what we are grateful for, whom we are grateful for, and why we are grateful, using the hashtag #GiveThanks. The purpose was to help us experience the healing power of gratitude. It was incredible the amount of posts that were made, and the difference it made in my life!

I soon noticed a trend where many of the posts were of gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ, beloved family and friends, and the many blessings we enjoy. All this in spite of the current pandemic. It is indeed possible to feel comfort, joy and peace in the midst of trials and struggles if we focus on the good things around us.

Our own family had a different kind of Thanksgiving this year, due to one of our daughter’s and her family being ill with the virus. As well as our son and his wife who had also just returned home from adopting their third child, and them wanting to keep her safe and healthy. In a group text with our married kids, we talked about postponing Thanksgiving until everyone was well, and baby Jade a little older; but then decided to go ahead with it as planned because Ron and I had already acquired most of the items needed for the meal. So with Ron’s help, the two of us cooked and prepared an individual meal for each of our three married children and their families and doorbell ditched them.

On the big day, everything was going according to plan until Ron noticed an unusual amount of water under the kitchen sink. It was soon determined the sink would be out of commission until we could acquire the part that had broken (which at the time of this writing, 5 days later, has still not arrived). Ron didn’t skip a beat. He ran out and scrubbed the sink in the garage to my “germ-a-phobic” standard of clean, set up a folding table, and we were back in business. Dinner was about an hour late, but at least we didn’t have to skip or postpone Thanksgiving, and each family had enough leftovers to last through Sunday evening. What a blessing!!!

The culminating event of our Thanksgiving weekend for the past 26 years, has been to drive over the river and through the woods to Ron’s mom’s home in Morgan, Utah. There we decorate her home inside and out for Christmas. Black Friday shopping has never been our thing, especially since I felt prompted to finish our Christmas shopping early back in September, most of it I ordered online – gotta love Amazon!

Ron’s mom, Eileen, will be 93 this coming February, and is extremely independent. She still mows her own lawn, and this year sewed over 1,000 pair of pajama bottoms for the kids at Primary Children’s Medical Center . . . ALL on an old antique treadle sewing machine! 26 years ago, her husband John passed away suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack. John LOVED Christmas! He loved the tree, the lights, the decorations, the caroling (he had an amazing voice). The first Christmas after he moved to Heaven, the sister-in-law’s got together (John and Eileen had five incredible boys) and made a cross-stitch ornament for every family member to put on a brand new tree from Modern Display in Salt Lake City, and we lit it up with 47 strands of lights! It is the highlight of my year to go up the day after Thanksgiving and decorate Eileen’s home filling it with Light, and holiday cheer! As the years have passed we have added more to the collection of decorations. The miraculous part of this whole thing, is that each year just prior to plugging in those lights, I say a little prayer asking for John to be there with us, and for the lights to work. Every – Single – Year, for the past 26 years, those lights have turned on and lit Eileen’s home with light and love from both sides of the veil! From those here on earth to those who know and love her in heaven – and the number in heaven has grown substantially in her almost 93 years!

John and Eileen are two of the most Christlike people I’ve ever known. They have both spent their lives serving others in every way. They are masters at being grateful for all the blessings in their lives. They lived a simple, frugal life, not acquiring much in the way of material possessions. The things they focused on in life were of much more importance: Heavenly Father, His Son – Jesus Christ, family, friends, and community. John and Eileen are the definition of “The Healing Power of Gratitude”. A more grateful couple, you will never meet. Their influence is still felt in the tiny community of Morgan, as they continue to share their Light in all they’ve done.

May we all strive to show gratitude for the many blessings we have, and may we do all we can to bring Light to those around us.

Love Ya,

Les

Family