I got a phone call from my dad last night. I am sure the idea of calling 4 kids and telling them the news was almost as heart breaking as getting the news. The heart has a funny way of allowing you to think first and then it responds.
When we were just little, like really little ( I was 8) we were moved into a new ward. We didn't move locations but the ward boundaries changed and we moved into 2nd ward. It was a hard move at the time but now it is home.
We were assigned 2 men to come to our home. I am almost sure they were assigned from the beginning but needless to say they were assigned when we were pretty young. President Law was a very humble and sweet man, but his companion was a spiritual giant yet he was quite. But the quite wouldn't last for long. As he became closer to our family he would open up and joke and tease us.
As I got older we looked forward to the monthly visit that would ensue with laughing, teasing and relentless torment from Ted. Yet a respect for these gentle giants was never far from our mouths.
As we got older President Law went on a mission and we thought for sure we would lose Ted. But each month him and Faye would come up the steps and we would have our lesson. If Ted wasn't our home teacher he didn't go to anyone.
We moved away to college and when we would go home to visit our parents we would go into sacrament meeting and Ted would be sitting at the end of the family bench, where he belonged, and would stand up and hug us.
When I had Tyler and I had gone home and Ted was in his usual place at the end of the bench. He stood up and with Tears in his eyes told me he was praying for my son. He was a grandparent to us and he was a very very good man.
"To our hundreds of thousands of home teachers and visiting teachers, I suggest that it is good to visit our assigned families; it is better to have a brief visit in which we teach doctrine and principle; and it is best of all to make a difference in the lives of some of those we visit."
As Ted embarks on his new journey and being reunited with his wife that he has made a difference in the lives he visited.
2 comments:
There is something special about Ted that nobody will understand. It has never been the same at the ward without Ted at the end of the bench (with the old ladies) laughing at the kids. Between Ted and Pres.Law, we have inherited 2 more grandparents. I was so sad when Dad called to tell me that Ted died. But like you said, dad probably didn't like to have to call all 4 kids and have to tell us because Ted has been like a family member to us for over 20 years.
Ted loved you kids as much as you love him. He was always so concerned and always asking how you all were after you moved on from home. He was proud of each of you, and loved it when you would come to say hello. I know you all made a difference in his life.
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