My Own Angels

Growing up as a kid, there were only two things in my reality about Memorial Day. First, school always got out the Friday before Memorial Day. And second, it was the day we went to Manti for the Tuttle Reunion.

But over the last few years and even few months, it's become a more meaninful holiday, in remembrace of those who have passed on to a more peaceful place where they can watch us from up above.

With that on my mind, I've spent today thinking about three special women who have been an important part of my life and have left a forever lasting impression on me.

Nana (Thomas mother) passed away this past December, and this past Mother's Day was lonely without her here. She was a woman of many talents and gifts and was blessed with a wealth of knowledge. One of my most favorite memories of her was actually this past fall. She and Grampy where here to visit us and we spent an entire week. One night Thomas and Grampy were out and she and I sat on the couch and just talked and visited about everything while she helped me sew the bindings on some table runners. We talked about marriage, men, maps and being married to the Bores. We talked about being mothers, gardening and serving others. It was an incredibly memorable conversation and one I will always remember. I will alawys feel like I didn't get enough time with her; that there was still so much I could have learned from her. What I did learn is priceless.

One of my best friends, Kerrie Blue Thompson, passed away suddenly and unexpedtedly in October. Her funeral was on my birthday, and so it was a gloomy birthday indeed. Being Kerrie's friend and roommate was an adventure every day. We had so much fun in the prime of our life! Trips to the cabin, camping, road trips, staying up until the wee hours of the morning talking. She had to be at work at 6 am, and I always wondered how she did it. She could get up at 5:30 and be to work by 6 looking absolutely gorgeous.

We would spend many weekends down home and she was part of the Dyreng and Madsen families. We always hoped that we would drive by a car with hot guys and hook up with them while driving on the freeway. But even after making all of those trips back and forth we never even passed ONE car with hot guys. We loved signing together, especially in the car. Our all-time favorite was singing to the Dixie Chick's "Wide Open Spaces." One time we were signging to the top of our lungs on the freeway and the car in front of us could see through the rear-view mirror. Yes, they did make fun of us, but we didn't care. We were having fun!

She was a true friend...a bosom friend.

And the third special lady in my life is my Aunt Michelle, my mom's sister and my second mother. It's been almost three years and I still think about her every day and miss her influence in my life. I have memories of her starting as just a little girl. I remember thinking I was soooo cool being able to sit out on the grass and sun tan with her when I was only three. I remember a conversation she had once with my mom. She was telling all about a date she had been on the night before. She went to Spanish Fork on her date. I sat there wondering in amazement how in the world she went all the way to Mexico and back in one night. We would sing Air Supply songs together, after it was released on cassette tape.

When we went school shopping we ALWAYS stopped at her house on the way home and had to haul in all of our bags and give a full "show and tell" demonstration with our new school clothes. She fixed my hair and make up for the first Prom I went to. She always had good advice and a listening ear and she was the perfect example of unselfishness, forgiving others, and making people feel special and important.

I know Nana, Kerrie and Michelle are all in a much better place. A more peaceful place doing important work. I miss their influence in my life, but know that I will see them again someday. I'm just grateful that my life was touched by three remarkable women and the best way to honor them is to continue on with the lessons I learned from them.