Yesterday I went to a special funeral of a life-long friend, Lorraine Morgan. It was such a blessing to know her and be part of her family. The funeral was tough, but it was such a spiritual experience that I wanted to share some of the things I got from it.
I felt so much from the talks and tributes given by all of her kids. Here’s a quick summary:
Roger: told about how his mom always made them lunch every day – she didn’t have to, she just valued being close to her kids. I loved Roger’s talk about how his mom was so loving and always there for all the kids. He told a funny “beer and pretzels story” that showed how much Lorraine wanted to take care of her children and teach them at the same time.
Kricket: talked about how her mom’s motto, one of them, was “People are more important than things.” This really hit me because I feel sometimes B and I focus too much on the things our kids DO instead of the people they are and how we can help them become who Heavenly Father wants them to become. (I just had the feeling that B and I should pray about who He wants our kids to become – maybe even take this prayer to the temple…) She compared her mom’s love to how Christ loved the people and didn’t want to leave them. I imagine that Lorraine’s love for people was very similar to Christ’s lover for all of us.
Lori: she talked about how, a few years ago, her son got in an accident as a sophomore and was really worried about how this would effect his chances to play college football. Lorraine had told him then that “maybe playing college ball isn’t part of the plan Heavenly Father has for you…” This really made me cry since I feel that’s exactly the situation I was in as a sophomore in high school – goals to play college baseball but Heavenly Father had different (and better) plans for me. Lori also talked about how her mom was a numbers person and how her daughter (or son) was born on 7.8.09 – go figure, Ch’s b-day too. She also said how ironic it was that Lorraine passed away on 10.11.12. I loved listening to Lori and remember calling her “Gorgeous” as a kid.
Cindy: she wrote a letter to her mom thanking her for all the wonderful attributes she’d seen in her. She had got in the habit of emailing her mom a lot while Lynn and Lorraine were serving 4 full-time missions so she thought this would be appropriate. Lorraine was always a phone call away to answer questions, provide encouragement, and validate her feelings.
Mike: he told a sweet story of a boy that, when listening to a preacher talk about how Christ had to carry his own cross, said he would have helped Christ carry it. The preacher told the boy that they would have beat him too – he said, “I would have still helped him.” The preacher then went around thanking the people for coming and when he touched the boy on the shoulder, the boy winced in pain. The preacher discovered that the boy had been beaten. When he asked the boy why, the boy replied that his mom threatened to beat him if she caught him going to the church again. Mike said his mom was similar to the boy: willing to help carry other’s crosses and get them through tough times. I know Mike had some tough times growing up and I’m sure his mom was there to help him “carry his cross”. Mike’s an amazing guy.
Bryce: Bryce talked about visiting his parents on their missions. He talked about how his mom’s love for the people, even though she didn’t speak their language, just permeated a room and the people loved her and she loved them unconditionally. Bryce said he got to spend a lot of time with them when they were on a mission in Pocatello, which he really enjoyed. I was surprised at how strong Bryce was in sharing his thoughts.
Sherri: “Mom made everyone feel like they were her favorite.” Even Barney, her husband, would debate that HE was her favorite 🙂 Sherri shared a lot of great things about how her mom was an example and how she’d tried to implement those things in her own life.
Harold: Lorraine helped him be introduced to the greatest gift in his life – the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lorraine was always there to encourage him and help him build confidence that yes, he COULD do it (whatever it was). It’s amazing to know that Harold was adopted into their family yet he considers Lorraine his mom forever. This was a special talk.
What I Remember About Lorraine
As I type this stuff, tears come to my eyes. Lorraine was a second mom to me. I spent hours and hours at her house, with her family, under her tutelage. I always remember her saying “Return with Honor” and “Remember who you are”. I remember how organized she was with her day care. I remember how she always seemed to have a smile on her face. She was an amazing person and definitely has “returned with honor” because she knew and remembered who she was.
As the title of this post states, most of the LDS funerals I’ve been to give me hope. Lorraine’s funeral was more like a tribute instead of a mournful event. Sure, we will all miss her and we love her; but we know we will see her again and we know that she has a work to do on the other side of the veil. I’m grateful for the plan of happiness. I’m grateful to know the Morgan family and to be such close friends with them. Each of their kids, and Lynn and Lorraine too, are such a great example to me of how I want my family to be. They love each other; they serve each other; and they are always trying to be their best.
I love the gospel and the hope it gives me.
I loved attending this funeral and for the many memories I’ll have forever thanks to Lorraine and her family.
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