Dearest Anne

This is my dear friend Anne with her three sweet girls. Today is Anne's funeral service and how I wish I could be there with friends and family to celebrate her life and mourn with her husband and daughters. Even more, I wish I could have spent time with her these last few months. I met Anne 9 years ago while our husbands were in dental school in Cleveland, Ohio. She was one of my sweetest friends, she was my walking friend, she was my listening friend, she was my thoughtful friend. Her life made me want to improve mine. Although I haven't seen her for 5 years, we have remained friends and she has continued to touch my life. I am thankful for her example of strength through adversity.

I read this quote in the Ensign back in January and at the time it reminded me so much of Anne. "Those who have to contend with difficulties, brave dangers, endure disappointments, struggle with sorrows, eat the bread of adversity and drink the water of affliction, develop a moral and spiritual strength, together with a purity of life and character, unknown to the heirs of ease, and wealth and pleasure." (Elder B H Roberts)

Anne had that spiritual strength and purity of life and character. She once wrote, "We know that we have been blessed beyond measure to have the time we’ve had this last year. We know more than anything that we are in God’s hands, and he knows much more about this that we do. How grateful I am to have a testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ, that he knows how I feel, and that because of His sacrifice, and the promises I made in God’s holy temple that I will live again and that I will be with my family for eternity."

As I got my children to bed Monday night I laid by each of them, holding their little hands as they fell asleep. I thought of Anne and stayed a little longer. I am filled with gratitude to be here to raise my children. I hope because of Anne I can do that a little better.