This month always takes me down memory lane and leaves me more grateful for things. When I think of March this is what I think of:
MARCH 1ST 2003
My older brother was married. I and two of my brothers were in foreign countries serving missions for our church. My mom, dad, and youngest brother were sitting at home waiting for some upcoming changes that I will speak of shortly, when a good Samaritan frantically banged on the door and yelled "your house is on fire! Get out Get out!" They ran outside to their entire roof engulfed in flames. They lost half of their house and the entire house experienced 60% smoke and water damage.
MARCH 2ND 2003
My last Sunday serving as a missionary in Brasil! Standing at a church door welcoming members and investigators whom I had come to love so deeply when I get the message to call my mission president. I walk up a red dirt road to a pay phone on the side of a road. "Hi President, this is Sister Simons. I was told to give you a call." President: "Yes, let me read you an email I got this morning. Dear President Morrison this is Sister Simons sister in law. I am writing to inform you Sister Simons's home caught on fire yesterday. Her room was the worst. She lost everything. Please let her know. Thank you" I share this because now looking back the message is kind of comical. That is all that was said. I was stunned. Speechless! My mission president asked me if I wanted him to reply back with specific questions. So stunned I said umm....no then something in my mind registered and I blurted out MY FAMILY???? Is my family okay???? He responds valid question Sister Simons I will write back and find out. I was able to call my neighbor later that night and luckily my parents were there.
MARCH 3RD 2003
Woke up early on the mission which wasn't an uncommon thing for me. I was always up early but this day particularly early. Laid down on the couch in my apartment in the quietness of the morning and my emotions got the best of me. I cried for my family. I cried for what they lost. I cried for the unknown, what I was going home to, what I wasn't going home to, cried for the blessing that my family was okay because I found out if it would have been at night my family probably would not have lived. Cried for leaving Brasil. Cried for leaving a life I had come to LOVE and enjoyed very much. Cried for the changes I had experienced and for the ones I knew I would miss and cried for the love and gratitude I had for everything around me.
MARCH 5TH 2003
Entered U.S. soil after living in a foreign country for 19 months. Tears of joy to see my family but tears of sadness for what I left behind in Brasil. I think back on this day every year. Those 19 months defined me in so many ways. I am whom I am because of that time spent on a mission. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life but one of the tender and sweetest memories as well. Every year this day brings a bittersweet smile to my face. This was the day I got off a plane and went to a hotel room to unpack my bags to live for two weeks until they could find us a rental home which we would live in for 6 months while our house was rebuilt. This was the day I woke up in the middle of the night not able to sleep because of the time change and all the emotions and I ended up hiding in the hotel room bathroom for rest of the night reading my Portuguese book of mormon clinging to anything that felt "normal" in this very unnormal circumstance.
MARCH 10TH 2003
My first nephew and my parents first grandchild was born. So now each year the older he gets the more I am reminded how many years it has been since I have returned from Brasil! :) He was suppose to come sooner but I tell everyone he couldn't make his grand entrance without his Aunt Sarah there. But honestly I think he waited so he could shed some light and happiness during a crazy time of stress, saddness, and confusion for our family. He is such a sweet little boy and I am so grateful for him in our family as well as my other neices and nephews that have since joined us.
MARCH 12TH
My mom's birthday. So yes 2003 was CRAZY!!!! But each year I look on this day with gratitude as well because I am so lucky to have the mom I do. She is blunt, she is straight forward, you always know where you stand with my mom, but a long with that she has the biggest heart. She loves to love, and to serve, and you can always count on her being there for others. She loves her family, she loves her grand kids, she loves her friends. She has had a very hard life and hasn't been in the best of health. A little over 5 years ago I almost lost my mom to a sickness and a tumor that was only found because of the guidance of a loving Heavenly Father. Those types of tumors hide and are usually overlooked when a scope is done but the Dr felt "impressed" he said to dig a little deeper. I will never forget taking my mom to the E.R. one night due to a reaction to some medicine she was given to help with the pain of the tumor before she could get in for surgery and the E.R. Dr told me to hold her hand and tell her to breathe because she was out of it and didn't want to. I remember a couple days later going home and coming to the realization that I could very well lose my mother. I pleaded with God to let her live because I wasn't ready to let her go. A few weeks later she endured an 8 hour surgery. He granted my prayer and 5 years later she is still here. Her life isn't easy but I pray every day she has good health and can enjoy the things she enjoys the most. The last 3 months my mom has been my number one fan during my project and is encouraging constantly to not give up. I am so grateful for her in my life.
MARCH 18TH & MARCH 21ST
March 18th is my mom's mom's birthday. This lady was one classy lady. She worked at a department store, loved to show off her grandchildren, and is remembered for her bright red lipstick. She loved to laugh and always had a big smile on her face. She had only one child and loved her very much. On March 21st 1992 just after her 64th birthday she passed away from pancreatic cancer. Her cancer was due to smoking the majority of her life. Now that I work in tobacco prevention I talk about her a lot more and as sad as I am I have lived the majority of my life without her I am grateful this experience with her taught me not to try tobacco. She missed out on so much of our lives. Tears are in my eyes now as I write and think about all that she is missing out on. She never saw her grandchildren graduate from school, she never saw her grandsons get married, she will never see her great grandchildren but I am grateful for the many memories I have with her. I am grateful for the moments I had to spend time with her and for the nights she took me searching for jack rabbits in the field by her house. I am grateful for the moments I had to play cards with her. I am grateful for the times I got to wear her perfume and her red lipstick and be just like her. I am grateful for the moments she took me fishing and my fondest memory I am grateful for is going to feed the ducks at the big lake in the middle of town.
Also in March, on March 12th to be exact my Italian sister married. This is special to me because she is the only person my older brother taught who accepted the gospel. She came and visited us a few times and is so dear to me. She is an only child and her parents didn't join the church but she married into a family with a long history in the gospel. She has taught me to never give up on what you want most and to always live life being happy. She is one of the sweetest most generous people I have ever met. When she called to tell us she was getting on March 12th I told her that mom's birthday and she said I know that is why I am getting married on that day. I love her so much and so grateful she is a part of our family. We don't see her often but she has place in our hearts for eternity. One of my brothers married in March. March 11th. I am grateful for my sister in law coming into my family. I am grateful for each one of my sister in laws. Each one has become a sister I never grew up with. I am now surrounded by sisters and they each have taught me so much. Then to end the month one of my sister in laws has a birthday as well. So March keeps our family busy.
March has special moments for me because it reminds just how precious people are and just how quickly things and people can go. March reminds me not to take things for granted. March reminds me to always cherish the special moments in my life. March reminds me of all the amazing people in my life. March reminds me I have an amazing family. My parents, my brothers, my sister in laws, my nieces and nephews are awesome and we were meant to be together in this life. They each play a huge part in my life. March reminds me to strive to live a life that will have a memorable legacy.
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