When I first met Ashley, just last summer, she had just moved into our ward and we were assigned to be Visiting Teaching partners. The first day we met, we went to visit Brooke. We were having some of the usual get to know you chat and she told us how old her two babies, Amelia and Jet, were. Amelia was just 1 1/2 and Jet was about 8 months. I remember specifically thinking to myself, that must have been a whoops, no one in their right mind does that on purpose. Then she said to Brooke and Me, "and I'm pregnant again actually." I am sure my mouth about dropped open! I thought: this girls is either seriously CRAZY or seriously AMAZING! Well, she is AMAZING! One of the most beautiful and strong women I have ever met. (Literally, I am still geeking out since I found out that before her days of pregnancy Ashley did a FULL IRON MAN! Are you kidding me?! She told me, "it's just like a long day of exercising." Ya, that most human beings aren't capable of! This girl is strong in every way. I was in complete awe of her during Amelia's entire viewing and funeral. It seemed that instead of everyone comforting her, she and Kurt were the ones comforting everyone else. She has shared some of her thoughts and experiences with me and I know she has been Divinely uplifted and strengthened and I am so grateful for that. Her faith is rock solid. I know for sure that Amelia is such a strong little spirit that she was needed on the other side of the veil, she will be there helping her family along through this life, they will feel her love and her presence, she will keep them going when everyday life is hard. And it will be hard.
During the week of Amelia's passing as Kurt and Ashley were preparing for her funeral I thought often of how grateful I was that Ashley and I had been assigned to be VT partners. It is one of those moments when you realize how much Heavenly Father really is aware of us, I probably wouldn't have even met her yet if we hadn't been partners, since she had been teaching primary, we don't really see each other at church. I felt over and over again during that week that Ashley and I were meant to be friends, I felt so strongly that although I have thankfully not lost a child, that because of the losses my family and I have experienced that I could at least relate to her in a way that many people can't, and that I could have a sense of how to help her and support her, I thought she needed me. The funny thing is, that during that week I kept thinking of how much I wanted to and could help her, but by the end of Amelia's funeral, all I could think was - she doesn't need me, I need her! Her great faith, her strength, her goodness, her positive attitude and her gratitude for the goodness of having Amelia on Earth for the time she did, and her sure knowledge of the reality of our Savior's Atonement are extraordinary. She has been and will always be an inspiration to me. She was beautiful this day, truly radiant.
These pictures of Jet are my favorite and just melt my heart...
Saying Bye Bye to Sister, breaks my heart
1 comment:
oh boy, those really got to me. how incredibly grateful i am for gospel perspective or how on earth could we survive these things? what a lovely, strong family. you captured the day beautifully.
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