What I Remember

Saturday, January 12, 2008

What I Remember

Yesterday at 1:45 PM my grandfather Willard Conant died. There are a few things that come to my mind as I remember him. One of the very first things I can ever remember is a picture of he and I sitting on a porch eating jelly beans.

When I was nine I remember going to visit my mom's parents for the first time. They owned a flower shop in Williston. I remember going to get the flowers from a warehouse. Then watching Pa cut every thorn from every rose. Then watching Grammy and others make the arrangements. Pa and I would go deliver the arrangements. I loved to work with him. He made me feel important; he made me laugh. The first time I bought a rose for Jenny I was floored that the florist didn't cut the thorns off the roses. Not to mention the terrible wrapping job. I took out my pocket knife and removed the thorns myself. Then I repackaged the rose in order to make it presentable. I was always very proud to know how to properly care for flowers- how to select roses that will look good and how to make them last longer longer.

I remember helping him with the addition on their home. We built a small room over part of the deck. The thing I remember most was helping him get the bottom of the deck covered in so it could be insulated. I am sure there was someone more qualified than I was to help but I enjoyed the time I spent working with him that summer. We would go between the shop and the and house working all day long.

I will remember him as person who loved to work. Even in his spare time he did Family History. Work that will last beyond this life time. It will leave a legacy here for those who understand it's importance and for those beyond the vale it has left an eternal impression on their lives.

He is someone who a life could be modeled after; a person to look up to; a man to try a lifetime to be like. I hope at the end of my life I will have touched as many lives as he did.

I will miss him until the day I can see him again in the hereafter.

3 comments:

JennyJanuary 12, 2008 at 2:24 PM
That's a beautiful articulation of your thoughts and feelings about your Grandpa Andy. Thanks for sharing it.
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KristaJanuary 12, 2008 at 5:04 PM
Sorry to hear about your grandpa, Andy.
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Two Restless RetireesJanuary 12, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Andrew, that is so well done. Thank you for doing this.
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Family Proclamation

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.