An Ode to a Rose

Rose is my first responder.




When my mom died I called her before I called anyone else. She was there is what felt like seconds on a day where seconds typically felt like hours. Not only was she there but she was willing to do anything to help. She drove me down to my grandparents house so I could tell them in person. I am not sure she will ever know how much she meant to me that day.

She went with me to the emergency room on that fatal ward Ski night. She made me laugh when I was in tons and tons of pain and understood that I didn't want the hot ski instructor to find out I was hurt. She also found very attractive men to carry me to the car.

The year I lived in a big house alone in Logan she always seemed to know exactly what days I was feeling the loneliest, and she would show up out of the blue to take me on a walk or a trip to Formosa.

When I made the hardest decision of my life and decided to leave Logan she and her sister where the only ones who showed up to help me move. I had just had surgery on my foot and wasn't much help. The two of them loaded my entire moving truck. Even now thinking about how selfless they were on such a super hot day I was to cry a little.

There was one night I will never forget in my back yard with some friend when we were reading out of my "IF" book. We laughed so hard we almost died. Last week before church we had another good laugh when we drove up to my mom's grave and stopped along the way to steal wildflowers to put on her grave. I love that Rose was able to know my mom at least a little. She knows at least enough to know there will be no sappiness there.

My grandpa died this week. He is 100 years old and he is with his wife and my mom and my uncle Wayne. I know they are so happy now and living it up but it was still a sad day for me. Some of my mom's family can be a little difficult to deal with. In the middle of the proceedings I get a text from her that was simple inside joke but it made me smile and I knew that no matter what, it was going to be a good day.

I find that often I am not as grateful for my friends as I should be. I do however, recognize that friends like Rose are truly gifts from a loving Heavenly Father.