My Granpda Weed's 87th birthday would have been last Friday, same day as my brother's! He passed away a few months ago in October of 2007, but not before leaving his mark in this life. At the time of his passing, many of my cousins had already posted their tributes to him on their blogs, so I decided to wait until his birthday to do mine.
My grandpa was a remarkable man. The older I have grown, the more I have realized what a strong, dedicated, and loving man he was. He loved my grandma very much. Up until his final breaths, he served her and cared for her. For the last few years, my grandma has been incapable of taking care of herself and my granpda day in and day out provided for her. In a circumstance that could be trying he patiently and loving served her-a true testimony of his deep and committed love.
Grandpa loved to serve. Over the years, he held many callings in the church and always served so faithfully. He had a strong testimony of the gospel and everything he did reaffirmed that fact. Living so close to them in Provo for my college and early career years, I was able to take advantage of the calming influence and wise counsel he provided many times. One afternoon, after becoming engaged, I had the opportunity to sit and chat with him about my fears. I was feeling a lot of anxiety and in need of some comfort. He lovingly gave me a blessing, which I believe took just about all of his strength. I really thought he was not going to make it through but he persevered, finished, and slowly returned to his seat. He then said something that stuck with me. He asked if I could pray with Nate. When I responded in the affirmative, he replied, "Then you'll be fine. If you can invite the Spirit and the Lord into your relationship you will have strength and power to overcome all." Spoken by a wise man who truly loved the Lord!
Grandpa and Grandma Weed made the effort to be at my wedding-not only did they come to the brunch but they came to the temple sealing too. I know it was difficult to get there but it meant so much to me.
My grandpa left an amazing legacy. He taught us all by example. We all loved him very much and know that we can be together eternally as a family.
3 comments:
Jaime, that was a beautiful post. What an awesome experience you shared about the blessing and advice grandpa gave to you. That is such a special memory you will have for a long time. It brought tears to my eyes. We all miss him so much. Thanks for paying tribute to him...he truly was an amazing man!
I agree with Kristen, it was a beautiful post. Thanks for reminding us of Grandpa's birthday. It is on my calendar. Thanks for sharing your memories. I really enjoy your blog--especially the San Francisco parts because we visited there lots growing up. My parents are just a few short hours away from you and they'd love to have visitors:)
Great post. Thanks for sharing your personal experience. I believe we all thought a little about Grandpa Weed on the 25th.
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