You Should Read This

I copied a post from my family's blog to here so you can all see it if you didn't see it there... it's from my Grandmother, Joyce, to my mother :)

To My Dear Sweet Colleen,

I have been thinking about you almost constantly lately. I’d like to share some of my thoughts with you.

You were born on a beautiful winter day in December. It was just before Christmas. I thought of the birth of our Savior. I felt quite special to have a baby at the time we celebrate his birth. A few days before I went to the hospital, Jerry came home from school with a fever. The next day he was covered in red spots. Chicken Pox! Three days later, Stanley did the same thing. The doctor didn’t want me to go home with the baby. But there was no other place to go. We tried to isolate you with just your father and me taking care of you. Two days later, Karen got the chicken pox. Then, low and behold, your father got them too. This was in the middle of the winter and I was trying to take care of everyone with the chicken pox and a new baby too. Remember, no automatic washer and dryer back then. Sure enough, when you were just 14 days old, you got the chicken pox too. You had a pox on your little toe that was as big as your toe. The Dr. thought you should have had some immunity from breast milk, but I had never had chicken pox. You managed to scratch a pox off that was on your cheek. It left a tiny scar, still visible today. Christmas was hectic but we still had a very nice one, as everyone was excited to have you in the family.

Did I ever tell you it was your father who chose your name? I had chosen Karen’s name, so he said it was his turn to name you. I agreed, as long as I liked the name too. When he said “Colleen”, I loved it. Also it was your father’s idea to add Joyce as your middle name. I was very pleased to share my name with you. I hope you like it too.
It seemed like you were always in a hurry. You could hold up your head immediately, you sat up and walked and talked early too. You had a bit of wanderlust in you. As soon as you could walk you were off to somewhere. By the time you were three, you often visited the neighbors, by yourself. It seemed like I was always looking for you. Sometimes, I would find you at Myron B. Childs. He would feed you cookies, which didn’t help matters.
One night you were about four, I awoke in the middle of the night to find all the outside lights on. I looked out the window, and there you were, in your nightgown, swinging as high as you could go. I was never sure what to expect from you. At age five, you tried barbering. You took the scissors and cut the cat’s whiskers. You thought they were in his way. On a vacation to Yellowstone Park, you fell while playing with a girl in the next campground, dislocating your hip. You were in a great deal of pain. I wanted to return to Ogden immediately, but the park ranger insisted that we go to the hospital in Mammoth. That hospital was small and no doctor was available when we arrived. So, without even an aspirin, they put you in bed until morning. It hurt you very much to be moved. When I took you to the bathroom, it hurt a great deal, I said I was sorry, you replied, “It’s OK mom, I know you didn’t mean too”. I almost cried you were so brave. A doctor came to the hospital that night, as there was an auto accident in the park at about 1 AM in the morning. Shortly, they came to look in on you. Under anesthesia, they put your hip back in place. Because you were so small, they did not want to put a body cast on you. However, you could not put any weight on it for six weeks. Could I keep you quiet for six weeks? (I couldn’t keep you still for 10 minutes). “Yes”, I said, “I will try”. The couch in the living room was a hide-a-bed, so it became your home for the next six weeks. You were wonderful at staying on the bed.

Remember when you broke your arm? One day at school, you dropped 2 pennies (change from milk money) down inside the cast. As you couldn’t get them out, they stayed there until the Dr. x-rayed your arm a few weeks later. By then they were black and corroded. When the Dr. saw this on the x-ray, he got real excited and cut off the cast immediately. Then he wanted to know what the H--- two pennies were doing in the cast.
You were a great athlete. You excelled in almost every sport. No one could bead you in tether ball. You had calluses on your wrists to prove it. You were also a great softball player. Playing soft ball was where you met your dear husband Brian, but that’s another story. The city league you were on took 1st place in the state, and you when to New York for the finals. You had to earn expense money and worked hard to do so. You were pretty good at riding the family horse, although you did take quite a few tumbles.
I will never forget the shock I felt when I cam home from work and found you had talked your dad into letting you paint you bedroom RED! I didn’t ever get used to it either. It wasn’t long before we softened it to bright pink.

Your teenage years were a challenge, although we did get through them pretty well. You worked hard in school and often had a 4.0 report card.

You super surprised me with your unexpected trip to Idaho, (That’s also another story).
I watched you grow as you took on housewife duties and became a mom. I saw how much you lived your husband and children. Thank you for teaching my grand children the gospel, for I love my grandchildren very much, and the gospel is true.

I was completely devastated when I learned you had ALS. I have always loved and admired you, but now I truly saw what a special, strong and valiant spirit you are. I watched you in the biggest battle of your life. Although this insidious disease would rob you of almost all your physical body, it could not touch your spirit. YOU WON the fight my precious child—YOU WON--. You have amazed me with your cheerful attitude. You always have a smile for everyone. I have never heard you complain. What a great example you are to me Dear Colleen. You are my hero.

I am grateful for the time you stayed at my house. It was a pleasure to take care of you. I loved every minute of it. You taught me so much. I am a better and stronger person because of you.

For the past eight years, I have had the honor and privilege of being an ordinance worker at the Ogden Temple. One of my choice experiences was the day you, Brian and Mandee came to the Temple. I was delighted to be assigned to that session. I had the privilege of giving you the sacred tokens. I was also able to take you through the veil. How grateful I am for that special memory.

I love you my dearest little girl. If I could have spared you from this trial, I would gladly have done so. I will try my very best to become a better person so I can be reunited with you again…. I know our Heavenly Father loves you and is pleased with all you have done. I am so grateful to the Lord for sending such a special spirit to our home. I am so proud to be your mother.

Eternal Love,

Your Mother
(Joyce Heiner Fisher)