Happy Memorial Day

This is Doug again. I'll start with a little confession. Usually when Memorial Day rolls around, I take advantage of the day off from work, but I don't visit graves. Today, although we are not visiting graves, I have been reflecting the lives of three special people I've lost over the years and would like to share with you a little about them. First off, I'll start with my aunt Karen, the older sister of my dad. She passed away in March of 1994 with ovarian cancer. Although she suffered dearly with the illness, she was always the sweetest person on the planet. I was going through some trials in my life during the time of her illness, and even though she was deathly ill, she would listen to me with an open heart and provide me with love and support through my difficult teen years. To this day, I remember how sweet she was and how she always put those around her first. She had her first daughter at a very young age, but worked so hard to give her family the best life possible. While he was a kid, my dad said that she was his protector. If bullies would mess with him, she would come out and kick their butts. That's the way she always was. Nobody messed with her loved ones. Although it's been 15 years since her passing, not a day goes by that I don't miss her. The second person I want to tell you about is one of my best friends named Scott Jones, who passed away in October of 2000 at the age of 41. He had a massive stroke and passed away from the pnuemonia he got in the hospital after the stroke. I met Scott in 1995, when he hired me at True Value Hardware. He was a proud father of six, and one of the most involved fathers I've ever known. He didn't miss a kids game, school activity or anything else all while juggling two jobs. He treated me like a son and taught me alot about life in general. When I got married the first time in the temple, he was my escort and continued to teach me important life lessons until his death. He was an example of what giving 110% at everything you do is all about. I miss him so bad. The third person I want to share with you is my Grandfather (dad's dad) who passed away in October of 2007. He died of complications of age and dimentia. My grandfather grew up in a family with nine brothers and two sisters. Of all of them, my grandpa was the only one who graduated high school, and went on to become a Pharmacist. He was a gold gloves boxer growing up, and love to play around with us growing up. No matter how hard I tried, there was no landing a punch on him. He was a born story teller. We always looked forward to his stories when we would visit. He missed his calling as a stand up comedian for sure. He was a 49ers fan. We were Rams fans. The 49ers usually got the best of the Rams and he wasn't afraid to tell us so. He taught me alot by his example of what being a devoted husband and father is all about. I try to mirror some of his qualities as a husband and father, and always put the people I love first, just as the three individuals I just described always did. I'm greatful for eternal life, and the knowledge that I will be with all of them, and all of my other loved ones who have passed. So on this memorial day, I will continue to reflect on their lives and always remember how special they are to me. I hope you all are as blessed as I am and have memories of special people who have touched your lives. Happy Memorial Day!