Tender Times

These last five months have been a tender time in my family. I have attended three funerals - one in December, one in April and one in May. It has also brought my family closer together, with more occasions to show each other our love and give each other our support in these difficult, tender times.

I feel somewhat hesitant to write about these experiences because they are private, personal experiences held close to my families hearts. But, I did want to say that there have been three people in my family who have passed from this life. My cousin - Brynn Clausen, my uncle - David Walker and my grandma - Ernestine Cowley. Each person has had there own individual impact on this family and will continue to - as they are each so close to us and forever connected to us.

There is a song that I think of when I think about those I have lost. It is "Lead Kindly Light".  The last verse of this song goes as follows: So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still - will lead me on. O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till - the night is gone. And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

I have felt the cold hand of death reach out and take those that I loved from my life and into the next. I say it this way because each time it felt cold and empty. But, I do know that there is more than I can yet see. As the scriptures say, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then shall I know even as also I am known." - 1Cor 13:12    "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."  - 1Cor 2:9

Family Matters

This past week, I was once again reminded of the importance of family. Last week, my uncle David suddenly passed away. My mind went immediately to his four children - my cousins. Our family is the most important thing we have in this life and in the next. Our families welcome us into this life and our families lay us to rest when we leave this life. Families are truly the best!

On the theme that family matters, yesterday the much anticipated 1940 US Census was released with a half of a dozen states available on the first day. More states will be released as the days go on. Apparently, it was much more popular than they thought it would be. It was reported that 1.9 million users began searching the census within the first 4 hours it went online. That translates into 100,000 requests per second for the serves.

This seems amazing considering only a handful of states were available right away. It sounds like a lot of people think that families matter. Most people want to feel connected to at least some part of their family. People don't want to go through this life without any family connection. It seems to go against our very spirits, the purpose of our earthly experience and our eternal destiny.

P.S. - myheritage.com is good for viewing the 1940 census. It is a free site. Also, you can go to stevemorse.org for the ED numbers. The ED numbers help you narrow your search to the people you are looking for. ED stands for enumeration district. It is found at the top of each census page. Towns and neighborhoods were divided into enumeration districts.