Lessons from a Boy

This particular post has been on my mind for about three months now. Oooo, it's gonna be a good one, right. Truth is, I've sat down to do this post about three times now and am finally getting any words out. I guess there is just a lot of emotion behind it, that is all. So here goes...

I believe I have mentioned once or twice that I really enjoy the work that I choose to do. My business has been wonderful for the past 5 years, although there have been many times I have discredited it, putting myself in the "stay-at-home-mom-making-crafts-into-business" category (the successful side at least). Well, it wasn't until the beginning of this year that I began to see it all a little different.

When we decided to move, Tyler and I debated for a long time about how to deal with the business. I really felt like I wanted someone to have someone run the business for me while I was gone, but I didn't want to sell the whole thing.

During this time, my friend, Lindsay's little boy suddenly got very sick and passed away within a days time. Her little Cooper was only 19 months old. It was tragic, a little boy so full of life taken back to his Heavenly Father at such a young age. After hearing the shocking news I mentioned to Lindsay that I would be happy to do imprints for Cooper. I had done his imprints once before when he was a newborn and even featured them here on the blog. I had never done a deceased child before, yet alone a child of someone I care about. Lindsay gratefully accepted and I was able to join them at the mortuary as they said goodbye to Cooper's little body. I felt privileged to be with them on that day. To be able to feel of the love of parents for their only son. To be able to feel the strong spirit of one righteous little boy. And to feel the witness of the spirit teaching me many things, one of which is the body's complete insignificance without our spirits. Lindsay and Patrick amazed me that day and many of the days following.

(Is that the perfect background for Cooper's print or what???)

During the week following Cooper's death while I was trying to keep my mind focused on the figuring out what to do with my business, Lindsay kept coming to my mind. I couldn't possibly mention anything to her at such a time in her life, yet at the same time, it was a just the right time to do so. Luckily for me, Lindsay mentioned one day that if I needed any help with business stuff, she had plenty of time on her hands. She opened the door and I knew that she would be perfect for it. Within the next two weeks we had both, Lindsay and I determined that she would be the person to take over my business and become my "partner" (that sounds so official).

I spent a TON of time with her over the next couple months, teaching her all the ins and outs of the business. I am so grateful for this time. Not because I was able to successfully pass off my business, but because I learned and grew, and I made a wonderful friend. Lindsay is a strong and faithful person and the way she dealt/deals with such a tragedy leaves me in awe. Really.

A couple weeks after Cooper passed away another friend of ours, Jen, delivered a baby that she knew would only have a short life here on this earth. I was able to do imprints for baby Corinne before she passed away. I received a similar witness as I did imprints of that baby girl. Her spirit was so big. I didn't want to leave that hospital room. It felt so good to be near her.

After 5 years of doing imprints I realized that I really have a wonderful job. I create something that allows people to cherish a moment. Even though I am blessed with believing in eternal life, remembering these little hands and feet bring joy, and that is pretty cool.

Lindsay is doing fabulous things with the business already. We had a photo shoot for our products recently. Here is my head shot and a "partners" photo :)

As we were saying goodbye to some good friends from California the other day I asked Tyler, "Why are we moving away for a few years??" As I thought about it, I really believe that this was one of the reasons already portraying itself.