We are All Here

My family has this tradition... Every time we get together with my mom's family (the Christensen side) we recite a little poem together. Usually we gather around right before eating a meal or playing a game to say it, and most of the time we casually ramble through it so that we can get on with the party. But not today. Today, I think everyone wished the poem would last a little longer. I know I did. That's because we recited it during my grandpa's funeral.

At 96 years and 11 months old, my grandpa Christensen finally got to go home. He has been waiting for it for a while, especially since grandma died five years ago, and more than anything, our family recognized his passing as more of a sweet reunion than any sort of loss. Of course we cried, because we will miss him - a lot. The amazing thing about Grandpa is that he touched each family member's life in such a personal way. Somehow I think all of the grand kids think we are his favorite, because he genuinely loved and cared about each of us. He attended every graduation, baptism, ordination, school production, and sporting event that happened near Salt Lake, and even made it to a few functions in other parts of the country. Most of all, I think he was the perfect example to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren - a true patriarch in every sense of the word and a perfect follower of Christ if there ever were one. I'm going to miss him, especially at Sunday dinners and every other family function we attend. The beauty of it is that we will always have the poem to remind us that we are never that far apart.

We are all here
Father, Mother, Sister, Brother
All who hold each other dear.
Each chair is filled, we are all at home
Tonight let no cold stranger come
For it is not often thus around
The old familiar hearth we are found.
Bless then the meeting and the spot
For once be every care forgot.
Let gentle peace assert its power
And love and kindness rule the hour.
We are all, all here.

(This picture was taken on Carson's blessing day in August. I think it was the first event in all his years Grandpa ever missed, so we went to him... and boy, am I glad we did.)