Becoming Family

I spent the night working on a project for my boss so I'd be able to make it to a funeral this morning. And tomorrow.

Jordan Mingo is a member of my church congregation (ward) and one of the best guys around. He and his brother Jed and his father Ron were heading out for a fun weekend fishing trip up along the western coast of Washington when they apparently encountered either fog or rough weather or both or mechanical failure in their small private plane - we may never know for certain. What we do know is that in a split moment, their destinations got changed. Permanently.

As I'm preparing to go to the funeral, I just have to pause and think just how much my friends become my family. And it's okay that my heart aches to know that Jordan won't be at ward councils any more, joking with the bishop, and he won't be sitting with his family at church, taking his turn with the baby, or helping his beautiful children, or mowing their lawn. The Mingo's may not be family by blood, but in the five years I've known them, they have become family of the heart.

And I add him to the growing list of very special friends we've said goodbye to in our lifetime - so many of them so young. And my heart goes out to his beautiful wife and children. And to his mother, who lost three of her men in that one silent moment.

And for tomorrow's funeral, my heart goes out to another ward member who actually is family, but she was a dear friend before I ever found out we were actually related. Colleen who has devoted 45 years caring for a sweet and perfect daughter, will have the hardest time, simply because the work has just been removed. But Collette, you touched many lives in your perfect innocence. I pray I can live worthy enough to be in your presence one day.

I feel so sad this morning, and at the same time so grateful to have known so many wonderful angels in my life. I guess it's just part of growing older to see people come and people go around us. And the minute we're born, we move toward death. The only one who knows when is our Lord and Maker. I just pray that I can learn from the example of such good people, and become a better person myself for having known them.