So I just got back from Phoenix Arizona a week ago, almost two weeks ago, and I was there because my dad's mom passed away so I went down for her well we didn't have a funeral we had a celebration of life and it was really tender to be there and especially because my parents who are serving a three year mission in the Philippines.

They were able to come back for just like less than 48 hours. I really felt bad for them. They were in the air longer than they were on the ground. But it was so bittersweet to see my parents and just to be able to celebrate my grandma's life and reflect on all that she had done and

been through and the people she had influenced and the person she was.

And it really made me think about the scripture in Hebrews 12, looking into Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

And a lot has been said in, you know, throughout time about letting God be the

author and finisher of your story and I've thought about that at times but it was

really interesting to me to be so intimately involved

in the finish of someone's story. I don't think I've ever had that experience before. I mean, I was there for the last days of my grandpa's life but I was six

years old so Millie's age so I don't really remember a whole lot about that although I do

have very vivid memories.

But this was just interesting to see kind of these last chapters close of my grandma's life.

And for me personally, it was really special that I got to say goodbye to her over FaceTime and it was the last day that she was coherent enough to have a conversation with someone.

And, you know, I, there were just some family dynamics and complications that made it

difficult for me to get that chance and there's a lot of just

tons and tons of grandkids, great grandkids, and children have her own and so

getting kind of like a place in line to be able to have that conversation took a while and it was it was an effort but the day that it finally came together it was just really tender that then I found out the very next day that she declined steadily.

And then, you know, kind of stayed in that place for a while and then my uncle shared that so my uncle Brett is just everybody's

favorite everyone loves uncle Brett and he gave one of the talks at her

celebration of life and he talked about her having a chance

to make amends with one of her close family members

who, you know, they weren't sure if they were going to ever like get on the same page

before she died but that the last day that she was alive that she was able to

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