Thoughts and stories, by Pal

For any of you who have lost loved ones, a spouse, a sibling, or a child, this quoted below is most comforting information.   Wayne's funeral was 2 weeks and 2 days ago.  For the first few days, several of my children, and friends, would call to see how I am.  I know they still care, but their lives are busy, and they have gone back to life as it was before mostly.  And in this life I will never be able to go back to life as it was.  As I told one of our daughters, in any couple, one of you has to pass away first.  So true!  How many billions of people have gone through this very experience!  And yet when it is yourself, it becomes so personal.  Even though it seems strange to say it, I am grateful he was the first to go. (for his sake!) This was the program when Wayne and Blaine went on their first mission to Sweden, arriving in Sweden in December, 1950.  Blaine went on his eternal mission in 1999, and now Wayne has joined ...

This is a very interesting article, and gives you great ideas on how to hold your family together.  Talk to them!  Tell stories about your family, your ups and downs, etc.  I need to do that more on this blog.  I have told many family stories in the past, which can be found in the "labels" column but I haven't told many stories that are happening right now.  Of course, some stories are not to be told publicly!  But I believe it will be a new direction for me! For instance, today is my beautiful granddaughter's birthday! Amanda and her husband Brent are so full of life, and love of this beautiful world, they have traveled a lot to see many unique places.  This picture was taken in Maui, Hawaii.  What an adventuresome live they are living, and will have! The Surprising Secret that Holds a Family Together By Scot and Maurine Proctor  · February 4, 2016 In 2013 Bruce Feiler, New York Times columnist and six-times b...

This is an excellent article about parents teaching their children to be  intelligent, disciplined, mature, functional, empathetic human beings capable of seeking, recognizing and honoring truth. Parents and Family: Protection Against a Dysfunctional Culture By Sutherland Institute  · March 9, 2016 The following was written by Stan Rasmussen. With increasing frequency, respected thought leaders are discussing legitimate concerns about what passes for intelligent discourse in the current presidential campaign season – a particular lowlight of which is the element of anger. Not just a feature of the dialogue (so-called) among the candidates, it seems as if anger is becoming the one socially acceptable and validated emotion. Additionally, what previously may have been thought of as “allergy to boundaries” (or as resistance to the gravitational pull of principle, common decency and common sense) seems rapidly to be morphing into an increasing...

I have been writing about Wayne, and trying to document the challenges he went through his last almost 2 years.  It is taking longer than I expected.  But some beautiful thoughts about him have come to my attention.  This below is from a grandson, Ben.   Wayne and I wrote regularly to him on his mission in Taiwan, and he returned last July.  I don't know the date this letter was written, but it had meant so much to Ben, that he kept it, and posted this on facebook a few days ago. I have been kind of avoiding this, but my Grandpa passed away last Sunday. There is a letter that he sent my while I was on my mission that I feel like I need to share.   “It’s always good to be on the winning side of things. When I was coaching little league baseball teams, I always told the boys that losing wasn’t fun. I told them if they weren’t there to learn something and have fun at the same time, to go home. Otherwise if they listened to what I was about to...

It was 2 weeks ago today that my dear eternal companion, Wayne D Eckman passed away early in the morning.  I am going to write my memories of the last 2 years or so, to the best of my memory.  He truly went through so many trials, some of which I'm not very aware, because he didn't complain.  I will probably include some of those stories in later blogs. The photo above is of Wayne, before he began his almost 2 years of poor health, with a small great granddaughter, Ruby.  This is quite a natural happy look to his face! But for today, these thoughts below are truly inspiring! QUOTE OF THE DAY Thomas S. Monson "What does it mean to endure? I love this definition: to withstand with courage. Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence" ("President Monson Calls for Courage,"  Ensign , Ap...