Alice

 Today was the funeral of a friend of mine in our ward in Wymount.  Alice was a wife, a mother, and an amazing woman. She passed away last week due to complications from childbirth. She gave birth to her third child, her first girl, on two Wednesdays ago and by the next Tuesday, she had passed away. It hit our little community hard, especially us mothers. You see one of the perks of living with the cinder-block is an amazing quad in the middle of all our apartments with a grassy area and a playground.  Everyday of good weather brings all the mothers out of their too small apartments, into the quad to watch their children play. Our little community of mothers sits outside watching our kids play and we chat, complain, swap cooking and cleaning tips and laugh. Many of these days saw Alice out with her two boys, Charlie and Edward. She often brought a book with her but would end up not reading much because the rest of us would bug her too much. I loved to watch her play with her boys and the joy I would see on her face as they brought things to show her and to ask her questions. She was also an amazing pianist. I loved to listen to her play. She studied in Europe and was revered as one of the best pianist in the world, and she was only 33.

Her death has hit me rather hard, partially because she was friend, so full of life, and so young, but also because of those she left behind. I cannot fathom being a single parent and the grief her husband and children are feeling. I was so amazed at her husband’s composure when he spoke about his sweet wife at her funeral. I knew he was so sad but I think he wanted to be strong for their boys.

Her death has also reminded me how grateful I am for the Savior and eternal families. You see, in our church, we believe that when husbands and wives are sealed together, they are together forever, not just for this earthly life. I know that Alice and Kirt, her husband, will be together again and their family will be reunited in the spirit world. I also know that the Savior not only suffered for our sins in Gethsemane but also all our pain and suffering as well. I may not truly understand what sadness Kirt is feeling but I know that the Savior does. I also know that no matter how frustrated or sad or depressed or sick I am, the Savior knows how I feel and I truly take comfort in that.

I hope I can make the impact in peoples’ lives the way Alice did. I know that Alice’s spirit will continue to make an impact on people as well. I know that she has made an impact in my life.