Letter to Andrea While on Her Mission

I know this is a picture of Tim on his mission but I couldn't find one of Mom and me while I was on a mission so this will do.

As written by Dad in an email:

In addition to her journals, Mom has 3 large scrapbooks and this morning I happened to open the blue-fabric covered one to find these stories, actually letters inserted loosely inside. This is a copy of a letter that Mom wrote to Andrea while she was serving a mission. BTW, Tim was also on his mission at the same time. I know parts of this story have been mentioned in years past, but I thought it would be best told in Mom's own words.

Before quoting from the letter, I will say that I am taking the liberty of filtering out some of the stuff not relevant to anyone else but Andrea. 

Dated: August 15, 2011 

One more "tender mercy" to share with you - again involving the temple.... Dad and I took 3 of the youth to the Raleigh Temple last Saturday. While I was watching the baptisms take place, a woman sat down next to me. She told me she and her husband had made a trip out East to look up some people from her husband's mission (he served in Raleigh-Durham) some 20 years ago.They had been unsuccessful - and their final attempt was to stop in at the temple and inquire. When I told her my name and we had 2 children serving missions out West, in SLC and Las Vegas, she got very quiet. Then she said: "Sis. McClure, your son was in our home just last week, teaching a friend of our daughter!" I got teary, as she told me all about Tim - what a wonderful missionary he was, that he was doing well, etc. My mother's heart was quieted and brought to peace!

Well, darling, I'd better get started on my day. I think and pray for you always, and love you so dearly. Remember: You can do hard things! [her underlines] 

Love, Mom

PS. Maybe I'll meet someone from your mission at the Louisville Temple next week!"

Mom and Mister

Since I created this blog, I will be the first one to post on it. I wanted to share my memory of when Mom adopted Mister.

If I get the dates wrong, forgive me, but I believe it was the Christmas before Mom got sick, which would have been Christmas of 2013. We were having the missionaries, elders and a senior missionary couple, over for dinner on Christmas Eve. When I opened the door to let them in, this little black and white dog came trotting into the house. I was surprised and wondering why the missionaries had brought their dog to dinner, especially since missionaries are not supposed to have pets. They quickly explained the dog was not theirs and he was hanging out in the yard when they drove up, following them to the door.

So this little dog invites himself into the house, trots right back to the kitchen where Mom is busy getting dinner ready, sits down at her feet, and looks up at her like he has known her his whole life. It was love at first sight!

And from there, we all know the rest of the story. Mom tried for months to find his owner, but he was not wearing a collar or tags and no one responded to the ads. So he became her little Mister, our first indoor dog. He was completely devoted to her and not spoiled at all! He had two beds, one for the laundry room, where he slept at night, and one for her sewing room so she could have someplace to put him when she needed her hands free. He had his pick of the blankets on the back of the couch, including Dad's green Snuggie. And Mom adored him.

In the last few months of Mom's life, Mister was not allowed to be on her hospital bed without supervision because the slightest jolt would cause Mom a lot of pain. So what did he do? He dragged his bed from the laundry room and placed it under her hospital bed where he could still be close to her and have some protection from all of the loving grandchildren that visited Mom!

We tease and say that he must have come straight from God's lap because he has been such a comfort to all of us, not just Mom, in the last several years. But seriously, that will be one of the first things I want to ask God about when we meet again! :)

Anyone else have memories of Mom and Mister, please comment in the Comments section!