Dear Brent:
Happy New Year! I hope you find joy in the coming year in your family, your work, and your church assignments. President Nelson has spoken of joy several times in the last few years and while I don’t fully understand what he means, I know we can find joy in our daily activities and in the knowledge that the atonement makes it possible for us to weather the storms of life.
My parents worked hard most of their lives. They raised 10 kids on a relatively small Idaho farm. Dad would start every day before 5 to milk the cows. As we got older, each of us kids had chores that typically started about 6. Since chores involved milking and feeding cows, we did them every day of the week. Mom would be up getting meals ready, washing clothes, baking bread, canning produce, and doing everything to keep the household running. Chores occupied us again in the evening. We would occasionally take a day for a break. That meant finishing the morning chores before leaving for a day in Rexburg to visit our grandparents or maybe going to Indian Springs or Nat Soo Pah (two warm mineral spring pools about an hour from home). We had to be back in the evening to take care of the cows. I remember one extended family vacation — we spent 3 days going to Yellowstone National Park. Eventually, Lyle decided he wanted to farm so he and Dad worked together and Lyle hired people to do the milking. When Dad finally sold the farm to Lyle, he continued to work on the farm baling hay, setting water, and feeding the animals. He raised a garden every year. Mom continued to take care of the house. They were able to get away to visit their kids in far flung places. And we got pretty spread out. When they left to serve a full-time mission in Singapore and India they had kids in New Jersey, Georgia, Utah, Idaho, California, and Hong Kong. When they returned home, they worked for many years in the Logan and Twin Falls temples. They taught us how to work hard and they encouraged us to save our money. It wasn’t easy for them to save but they were able to put aside enough to support themselves as they lived into their mid 90s. Fortunately, they were able to “age in place” and stay in their home. Their health worries were relatively minor. However, as Mom lost her mobility, it became necessary to find full time care. She fretted over the cost (it was actually several times more expensive that she thought) but, as their money manager, Lyle assured her there was enough. She passed away the month one of her accounts was exhausted. When we kids met at Mom’s funeral, Lyle told us we would be getting a small inheritance that would be divided 10 ways. This past week he sent out the checks. I wanted to share some of it with you. Please recognize this represents a portion of a lifetime of service and work and take care of it accordingly.
Find joy. Love, Dad
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