Dear family and dear friends,
Last Thursday, an administrator in our mom’s assisted living center told us, “I tell EVERYBODY: ‘Write your own obituary!’” And so, we are. (And honestly, is that not we are doing every day?)
I wept last Sunday as I
heard a 90-year-old uncle quote to me in German, Job 19:25 and 26: “For I know
that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth: “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God.” His sweetheart, the flower in his life, had passed away three hours before.
Last Tuesday, I heard from my dental hygienist, “The past
belongs to nobody, the future belongs to God, the present is my own.” So, what will
I do today to claim my “present”? I am
loving the idea that my gifts can sometimes be my weaknesses…some gifts
inherited…others gifts requested and pursued.
How best can we celebrate Great Grandpa's slides finally labeled and sorted: "By little and little?"
Late April we were
blessed with a weekend visit with grandchildren, highlighted with a night
sleeping in the backyard, under the stars.
(Only the stars were mostly covered by cloud cover.) 
Clouds can be a
trial to children who like the a neighborhood "walkabouts", but a truly, they are a reason for
mountains to burst into green. We
were reminded at a recent Stake conference that our
role is to stand in the river of His love and dig and dig to see that it gets
to the end of the row!
One of those “rows”
for us this month came in comings and goings of family from Washington to gather
at a wedding for our nephew Daniel to a young woman he met through a detour of
his mission to Chili. 
His finance was also headed to Chili and deterred. Funny, that detours can introduce the brilliance of shining stars as we learn to keep our eyes open to rays of goodness, truth and hope.
Some of our digging has been in the music arena.
And some of our music loving friends are making temple moments with us.
With school wrapping to a close, we are appreciating "leaning in," applauding first and last, hopping hurdles.
A daughter’s family is moving from Georgia to Cape Canaveral area.
And we learn from grandchildren near and far, that a thirst for understanding and truth may open doors. Thank you for choosing to open and embody some of those wonderful doors.
Thank you for being flowers of goodness in our lives.
You are remembered.
You are loved!
Along with all His creations.
Laurene and Val Starkey
