"Grandma Bunny"

  My Gramma Ida had many fun things that she did for her grandchildren: every Halloween she would make us goodie bags filled with a half-can of soda, moon pies, usually a banana, and some candy. On Valentine's Day we would get a Valentine-themed goodie bag, and the same went for Easter. On the Easter basket she would write "Love, Grandma Bunny." One of my favorite parts of that Easter basket was the gum eggs. Man, I loved those things!
  Gramma Ida was always out and about, visiting and loving life. She had a way of brightening up a room. She was one of my favorite people in the entire world. I remember the day that I realized she was going to die: It was Easter morning. We had gotten a call the night before letting us know that she had suffered a massive stoke, and the prognosis wasn't good. My Mom rushed to the hospital that night, so on Eastern morning it was just me, Dad, and Jason. When I woke up that morning I knew that I was going to lose my Gramma, and I was mad. Easter is supposed to be about new life, and finding life where once it had been gone. So why was I getting the exact opposite? That Easter didn't feel like mush of a holiday. We went to church, and after went to the hospital. It was so hard to see my Gramma there, unable to communicate. I remember holding her hand and telling her that I loved her, and she squeezed my hand so hard to let me know that she loved me, too. It would be a few more days until she actually passed, and they would be some very hard and dark days for me.
  The week that my Gramma passed was a very busy week. I would go to school during the day, rush to her house to spend time with my family, then rush back to the school to help decorate for prom. One night it was just too much for me. I remember crying and telling my Dad that I didn't know what to do. I felt like I should be spending all of my time at Gramma's house with the family, but I also felt obligated to help with prom. On top of that, I didn't understand why Gramma had to die. My Dad is such a good listener, and like a good dad, knows just what to say. He told me that Gramma would want me to keep doing the things that I was doing, and not just sit around and be sad. He said that I was doing the right things, and that everything would be ok. I was still so sad, but felt a little better.
  That night as I got on my knees to pray, I found myself telling God what I really felt about everything for the first time. I cried and told Him that I didn't understand why He was taking my Gramma, and that it wasn't fair. I begged Him to let her stay, and let her be ok. In the anguish of my soul I felt a sense of peace come over me. I knew that though Gramma was going to pass, that it was going to be ok. I felt the joy and excitement of her being reunited with her Savior. In that moment my Savior carried all of the grief and pain that I had been carrying on my own. I came to understand what Easter really is about: life, where once life had been lost. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we know that this is not the end, and that there is life after this. We will all have the chance to be resurrected and live with Him again. I felt all of these things so surely in my heart, and I just knew that everything was going to work out. I felt my Savior's love for me, my family, and especially for my Gramma.
  The next afternoon I was at my Gramma's house for my usual afternoon visit. While I was there my Gramma slipped from this life into the next. In that moment I should have been devastated, but I literally felt lifted and supported, and a remembrance of all that I had felt and learned the night before rushed back into my mind. I knew that my Gramma was with her Savior, and that while we would miss her here on earth, we would be with her again. That didn't stop me from crying then, or now, but it's a reassurance that I cling to, to this day.
  That Easter was a hard one for me, and I have to admit that since then Easter has not been the same, at least for me. It was a few years before I would really enjoy Easter celebrations again, but now I do. It's still hard when Easter rolls around-I will always associate it with my Gramma's passing, though the days aren't always right. But even more so, I associate Easter with when I came to a sure knowledge of the life, death, resurrection, and renewed life of my Savior, Jesus Christ. With Him, all things are possible.
  I think about my Gramma Ida often, and the things that she taught me. I am so thankful for the lesson that I learned from her death. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have that her death was not the end, and that I will see her again someday. I know that as an absolute truth. Our Father in Heaven loves us, and He has a plan for us to be able to live with Him and those we love eternally. If you have any questions about that plan, feel free to ask me. I love to answer questions! You can also find out more at: www.mormon.org