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Today has been a very happy day, tinged with substantial melancholy.
We came to San Antonio to attend the temple wedding of my niece’s daughter, my late brother’s granddaughter.
I felt, in a way, as if I were representing my brother. I miss him horribly. I know how happy and how proud he would have been — how happy and proud I’m confident he is. In fact, I’m representing my parents, too. I’m the last living member of that little family from San Gabriel, California.
And, one year ago today, our first grandchild was born.
So, in her memory, we also participated in a temple session here after the wedding. Doing so seemed an appropriate way to mark the anniversary of her birth. And the wedding made things even better: What could be more fitting than to spend much of the day in and around a temple, witnessing and reflecting on the ordinances that promise a continuation of family ties beyond the grave and into the eternities?
Moreover, the San Antonio Texas Temple is a striking edifice. The stained glass, particularly the three large windows in the celestial room, is magnificent. And its setting, atop a prominent hill, is quite remarkable.
There was, of course, much happiness today. It was deeply satisfying to spend time with our extended family, many of whom we rarely see. The wedding reception tonight was wonderful, loud, joyful, and well-attended. My brother would have enjoyed it enormously.
It was fun, too, to run into two former members of the BYU foreign language ward from the time, long ago, when I served as a counselor in the bishopric there. They were in the same endowment company with my wife and me. And also in the company was someone who sometimes comments on this blog, who recognized me and stuck around after the session to introduce himself and to talk with us for a few minutes. That was a real privilege.
To a very considerable degree, life is about meetings and partings. I much prefer the former, but I know that the latter are inevitable. Fortunately, the promises of the temple make such partings a bit easier to bear.
“I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Posted from San Antonio, Texas
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