What it’s all about
Sunday November 08th 2009, 3:33 pm
Filed under: Friends,Life

There being no paid clergy in the Mormon Church, who the speakers are varies every week. We take turns sharing of our faith and our lives lived by that faith.

And today, one of the speakers was my husband, and one was Marguerite. She stood there with her hair grown back in, gorgeous as ever, as composed as ever… And, I would say, even more so now.

She mentioned what a friend of hers had told her while she was so very ill with her breast cancer:  “I don’t know what to say or do to convey how much you mean to me. I’m on unfamiliar territory.”

Simply saying it was enough.  Marguerite will never forget it.  And now, neither will I.


13 Comments so far
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It’s those simple, eloquent lessons that remain. ‘Tis a good lesson for the “polished” speakers, eh?

Comment by Barbara-Kay 11.08.09 @ 5:55 pm

“Giving Witness” I believe is also a descriptive phrase in that circumstance.

Is humor appropriate in this instance?

Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?  
A: Keep busy. If you’re handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live.

Q: How can you avoid spotting a wrinkle every time you walk by a mirror?
 A: The next time you’re in front of a mirror, take off your glasses.
 
Q: Why should 50+ year-old people use valet parking?  
A: Valets don’t forget where they park your car.

Comment by Don Meyer 11.08.09 @ 6:33 pm

I didn’t realize there weren’t paid clergy. How wonderful and interesting! I think our priest is wonderful, but it wouldn’t be so bad to hear a different voice now and then!

Comment by Momo Fali 11.08.09 @ 6:50 pm

Marguerite, being Marguerite, is always wonderful to listen to.

Comment by LauraN 11.08.09 @ 9:07 pm

“And now, neither will I.” And now neither will we.

Comment by LynnM 11.09.09 @ 1:39 am

The important thing is to say something – recognizing the otherwise unspeakable and offer to be there…

Comment by Holly 11.09.09 @ 4:10 am

Sometimes just being there for someone and listening is all that is needed. I’m not who wrote the following but I keep it the saying on my bulletin board at work.

Cancer is so limited . . .

It cannot cripple Love.
It cannot shatter Hope.
It cannot corrode Faith.
It cannot destroy Peace.
It cannot kill Friendship.
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life.
It cannot conquer the Spirit.

Comment by Joansie 11.09.09 @ 6:29 am

Goes to show when you speak from the heart, you reach into more strenght and humanity than many would expect.

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing this experience. It will give me courage to be humble and admit when I don’t know what to do but yet want to communicate the feeling.

Comment by Suzanne in Mtl 11.09.09 @ 6:39 am

Beautiful.

Comment by Channon 11.09.09 @ 8:31 am

Sometimes the most meaningful things are said in the quietness of just being there for one another!

Comment by TripletMom 11.09.09 @ 8:33 am

Joansie, thank you for sharing that. I know someone who needs that now.

Comment by LynnM 11.09.09 @ 9:30 am

How simple, and how lovely. I will remember it a long, long time. I hope I was able to say the same thing, in my own way, to those I’ve lost.

Comment by Diana Troldahl 11.09.09 @ 5:44 pm

Very inspiring!

Comment by Monica 11.10.09 @ 2:07 pm



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