Bucket list item 22

Serve others

This week has been profoundly different. I was shocked into an absolute understanding of my mortality when on Wednesday I was driving in Orem looking for some nonsense or other and in the process of turning around on State Street I struck another car. We hit point to point with the left front bumper of my car pounding directly into the right front of hers. Literally no more than 18 inches of either car was impacted but because of the age of the cars and the price of repairs both were rendered disposable. One half second earlier and I would have been t- boned in my driver’s door. One half second the other way and I would have crashed into the passenger door of her car. Just as most things in life occur I never saw her coming. We met (rather physically and forcefully), we greeted, and we parted letting our insurance companies take care of the remaining activities. Had any number of alternative circumstances occurred we would never have had the crash. Just as in life we take what we are given.

I went to see her Tuesday and we had a great giggle. She was looking at me with her back on the mattress, head hanging over the side trying to sit up. I got her rearranged, fixed her pillow, put a damper over the heater vent, and told her that contrary to the professional opinion  of her physician and others, she was likely to live to be 90. On Friday I went to see my sister, Lynda. Dave and Jean went with me and we had a very nice visit. It was obvious she wasn’t going to live much longer. We all gave her hugs, shared pleasantries, and said good by. Not positively provable, but I believe David was the last one in this life she gave a big hug to. Jean and I went in on Saturday at 12:00 and as Jennie, Kienna, Jean, Monte, and I watched she simply passed through the veil.

She had seen and visited with dad (C. Glenn Jacobs) and he had come for her. She called him daddy and said he wasn’t 65 anymore. What a pleasant welcoming party they had as they greeted and discussed life after thirty nine years of separation.

We have had great opportunities to visit about life in the last few days about life as we know it; life before we came to this, and life eternal. Each of us has a slightly varying perspective on our purposes for life and how these events have and will unfold. For me it is enough to understand that God our Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ love each of us as spirit, and now temporal children and wants only the very best. God is no respecter of persons and would never punish, or limit someone because of when they were born, the color of their skin, the nature of their knowledge/beliefs. Each one will be provided with an opportunity to complete their respective eternal mission through the infinite atonement, through the unimaginable wisdom and love of our Savior, and through all the blessings appurtenant to exaltation and eternal life.

My dear sister Lynda; via con dios. Until we meet again we bid you a fond farewell. You have left a great legacy through your children and grandchildren. May you have opportunities to meet and rehearse the great story of life as a mortal with mother, Cheryse, dad, our grandparents, and the myriad others who wait to greet you.

God bless each of us as we continue to enjoy the blessings of this life, of God the Father, his Son, Jesus Christ, and the direct conduit to inspiration and hope through the Holy Ghost.

Duane Jacobs, grandfather, father, brother, uncle, cousin, and honored friend