Sometimes, we get so busy with our lives that we lose sight of the big picture. Beauty and the Beast has consumed my life since December. And, though I'm happy to be a part of something so wonderful, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture and focus only on one aspect of life.
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to get a wake-up call and attend a really great funeral. Can you call a funeral great? Of course, I wish I didn't have to go, that Rosie was still here with her beautiful daughters. But as funerals go, it was a really great funeral. I am very glad I was there to partake of the sweet spirit and get a reminder about the important things in life.
Rosie was married to my husband's cousin. I met her before Scott and I were engaged. She is one of the strongest women I've ever met; both physically and personality. She was always so kind. She made you feel important when you visited with her. She wanted to know all about you and what you and your family were up too. I always looked forward to seeing her at stock-shows the Arnolds went to. We dropped by her house a few times, once after we first moved to Utah County and took the kids trick-or-treating. She loved her daughters very much. She took such good care of them under difficult circumstances and was so proud of them and her accomplishments.
One day, she gave us a miniature cabbage patch doll. She saw it on the shelf at a store and had to purchase it for us because the doll's name was Kyrie. That doll is still in the box in Kyrie's room. That small gesture really touched me. I have never forgotten it.
The thing that struck me most about Rosie, though, was how happy she was. Her life was not an easy one. She lost her parents when she was young. She had a difficult marriage and an even more difficult divorce. She struggled as a single mother. Yet, I don't ever remember seeing her not happy. No one would have blamed her if she had become angry, even bitter. But she didn't. She was always happy when I saw her. She was a hard worker and gave everything her all.
What a great example to me. I am so sad that she passed away in a car accident. I am so worried for the 3 teenager girls she left behind. I pray for them daily. But as I've thought about them the last few days, I have once again been reminded of the important things in life. The REALLY important things. We need to stop being so self-centered and think of others. We need to take time to appreciate our families, our friends and each other. We need to remember where we came from and why we are here. We need to love each other more and find fault a little less.
I will still be spending countless hours over the next 2 weeks working on Beauty and the Beast, but I will do so with more appreciation for those who are helping and I will do it with more love for the students in the cast. I will still neglect my family some, but I pray I will have patience with them and they will support me.
Thank you, Rosie for being an example to me. Thank you for your kindness, thank you for your testimony. And I will continue to pray for your girls and do everything I am able to help them through their tough times.
