a beautiful day

Every day I am grateful to still be alive.  Some days I am especially grateful.  Today was one of those days.

I have a niece who I love very much.  Her name is Katie Loveless.  Today Katie was married in the Payson Temple.  We were able to attend her wedding.  I woke up this morning and thought how grateful I am to still be alive and to be able to see my niece married in the temple.  The difficult thing for me is that about a year ago Katie's father passed away.  He was so healthy but something went terrible wrong and he fell into a coma from which he never woke up.  He was my dear friend and I miss him dearly.  Today was his daughter's wedding.  I found myself praying this morning that my brother in law, Randy, would be allowed to attend his daughter's wedding somehow.  I so wanted him to be there and for my sister Marie to be aware that he was there.  I had a distinct answer form in my head.  It said simply "Of course he will be there, it would be very hard to keep him away"  I believe that answer.  As we sat at the wedding I had a very powerful impression that Randy was in the room with us witnessing his daughter's wedding.  I was so grateful to feel his presence there on that wonderful day.  Katie looked so happy and beautiful.  Her new husband Jeff is wonderful.  I am so grateful for him and how happy he makes me niece.  I have spent almost a year writing a book called "Abigar Stories".  They are a collection of stories that I told to my children and to Katie when they were growing up.  I have made a special effort to finish that book before Katie was married so that I could gift it to her on the day of her wedding.  I finished it yesterday.  I told her I had written them down for her.  She has the only copy in print.  She began to cry.  I hope that she loves reading it.  I loved writing it because it reminded me of telling the stories to her the first time.