and it continues

This train of grief that we call 2013 just keeps rolling along.

My Aunt Mary Lou Andersen passed away Saturday morning.  My dad called that night with the news, and for the first time in months I actually sobbed.  This was for all those that have passed away in the last several months, from my Uncle Bill to my former home teacher to my little great-nephew, and now my aunt.  I've been stuffing and storing my emotions for so long; I really needed that release.

And there I was in church on Sunday, everyone wishing me a Happy Easter, and me knowing that the best I could do was Peace.  Peace, because even through all the grief and tragedy, I know that my Redeemer lives.  I had two epiphanies in regards to Easter this past week.

1) When Christ was on the cross, with all the pain and agony he was going through, he looked down and saw the grief of his mother and his beloved disciple, and made sure they were taken care of.  What an example.  No matter how bad it got, he was still looking out for others.  This came from the cantata we were doing for Easter.  This is the first time I've been in my ward for Easter for several years, having spent the last several with my sister and her family.

2) I was grieving, and Mary Magdelene was grieving.  I don't know that my grief approached hers, but it was still grief.  I had a brief solo in the cantata where Mary asks the man she thinks is the gardener where the body of her beloved Master lay.  I was able to channel that grief into the song, and I was a little surprised by the number of people who came up to me afterwards.  The epiphany?  That grief is grief, just as love is love.

We have sister missionaries in our ward again.  This is important because I've actually taken them out twice since they got here about 3 weeks ago.  They were going to come over on Saturday to help me straighten my house, but couldn't (which was fine because I ended up crashing after rehearsal).  They came over on Sunday instead for a few minutes.  I just love those sweet girls.  I'm so glad to have sister missionaries again; they are such a blessing to me.  They sensed that something was off, and wanted to make sure I was all right.

Time for me to go, but I want to leave on a positive note this time.  I am now Facebook friends with Aidan Turner (Kili in The Hobbit, Mitchell in Being Human (UK)) and Dean O'Gorman (Fili in The Hobbit and appears in several other Aussie shows that we don't have access to in the US).  So cool!

Aidan Turner

Dean O'Gorman

I've also 'friended' Martin Freeman (Bilbo in The Hobbit, John Watson in Sherlock, Tim in The Office (UK)) and Richard Armitage (Thorin in The Hobbit, also in MI-5 and Robin Hood).  I think it's so cool that they're willing to throw this bone out to the fans.  10 years ago I would have died to be FB friends with Orlando Bloom.  Hey, maybe I can do that too!!  I shall have to look for him!