My Dearest Family,
I know that right
now things are a little rough, actually more like really rough, because
we have lost someone who is so dear to all of us and has made a
permanent mark that will be in the hearts of everyone for time and all
eternity. I was hoping that I wouldn´t have to write these words and
that I would have a chance to speak them, but that is not how the Lord
would want it, and I believe He knows that my real talent lies within
writing more than it is speaking. So as of right now I´m praying
fervently that I will have the Spirit of Revelation with me right now to
say the few words that the Lord would have me say to you all to give
you comfort, that all will be alright. So here we begin.
When I hear the name Mary McKay or better yet
for me Nanny, there are many words that describe this amazing,
wonderful, woman who has touched the hearts of so many people. The one
word that stands out stronger than any other word that can describe
Nanny is a simple four letter word spelt L.O.V.E. Her love and charity
that she had, and will have throughout the eternities, for others is the
most amazing example to me of what the Savior showed us when he was her
on the earth. Her love was so immense for everyone, and I never heard
her say a bad word about a single person, and if she ever did it was
followed directly by some kind of good compliment that she saw in them.
I will warn you all now I will be using quite a
few quotes, solo because it is one of the strongest ways I can express
my feelings, but Nanny loved quotes anyways, and this is for her, but
there is one quote that says, "When you touch one life you touch a
thousand," and this was so true with Nanny. I don´t believe there was a
single place that exists in Utah County where we could go and not be
stopped by someone who knew who Mary McKay was! :) Her example was that
strong, she fulfills the meaning of these quotes that say, "The way I
live is my clearest testimony, it reflects what I truly believe." and
"It is important to have a good example to follow, and example who is
full of charity, love, and kindness."
Charles Kingsley once said - "Thank God every
morning when you get up that you have something to do which must
be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to
do your best will breed in you temperance, self-control, diligence,
strength of will, content and a hundred other virtues which the idle
will never know." This explains Nanny to a perfect "T" No matter what
she was asked to do whether she liked it or not, if someone needed her
to do something she was always there and did all she could without a
single complaint.
Growing up I have so many wonderful memories with
Nanny, memories that will never fade, memories such as, going to Wendy´s
or Taco Amigo to get a Bandito, or watching Mother Goose, Sound of
Music, or many other movies that she has. I remember also coloring in
the many coloring books that she had and she would sit there and teach
us how to "color in the lines." Always, Always Nanny would be singing
some kind of song with us like "Cream of wheat is so good to eat and we
eat it every day, la la la la la la la la la, it makes us shout hooray!"
Haha she could never remember the middle part of the song, but it never
mattered. Other songs like "Won´t you be my sweet heart, I´m in love
with you.." She would always sing or have primary songs playing for us,
some of my greatest memories with this was driving to her house in the
red Lincoln and singing at the top of our lungs popcorn popping on the
apricot tree, My Heavenly Father loves me, and many, many other primary
songs, and others. And speaking of an apricot tree, if there was anyone
who visited her house you would know right away that Mary McKay had one
of the greatest green thumbs in this world, and you could tell that by
the amazing, garden that she took care of so dearly, with her famous
tomatoes, or apricots, zucchini and many other plants, she would take
good care of them until they were ripe and ready to pick, then she would
bottle them or give them to other people. My favorite of all the things
that she had was her bottled peaches, and we would eat those with
Grandma Sycamore bread! YUM!!! :) That was one of my favorite things to
eat at her house.
We all know that Nanny´s middle name is Louise, but
even though it is not on her birth certificate she always had another
middle name and that is BYU FOOTBALL. Nanny hardly missed a game of BYU
football and I´m sure she was their greatest fan! I remember watching
the games all the time with her while I was little and would copy her by
yelling get´m, get´m, get´m! :) One experience in particular I remember
was I was out for a walk near her house with Cambry on my shoulders,
when all of a sudden I heard a scream from her house, I´m sure you can
all imagine how fast I took Cambry off my shoulders and went running
like a bullet being shot from a gun to the house, when I got to the
house, I ran in completely out of breath, saw Nanny and asked her if she
was alright; she then commenced to tell me in a very ecstatic voice
that "BYU JUST MADE A TOUCHDOWN!!" :)
One of the memories I will always cherish is the many
phone calls that we shared, I would always call her when I was little
but it was when I started my Senior year of high school and on, that I
called her many times a week, if not at least one time each day of the
week. I know that she cherished this, and each time I called her she
always had some kind of advice for me. She was someone I could talk to
about anything and everything in my life, and as I said she always had
advice, the greatest of all the advice that she ever gave me was, "No
experience is a total loss if you learn from it!" That is one phrase
that has helped me through all situations, because she taught me to be
positive and strong and to look for the good in everything. "We can
choose to be sad, but it is so much easier to be happy, and takes less
muscles to do it," is one other thing she would always say. She never
faulted on giving me some kind of advice even while I have been on my
mission, she has shown me the greatest love, and has always been one of
my number 1 fans and cheering me on to accomplish my dreams and when I
was down she was always there to pick me up. In the first letter that
she sent me while on my mission while in the MTC, she wrote, "Always
know my love and prayers are with you. Know that I miss you, but I would
not want you to be anywhere else but where you are at. Keep up the good
work, the challenges we face make us learn to be strong, one step in
front of the other, and remember, No experience is a total loss if you
learn from it. Many, many thing in your life you are preparing for by
what you are doing now.¨ Right now one of the reasons I´m here in the
mission is for her, I´m here to show the same love she showed to all
people.
I could go on for hours and hours talking about Nanny
but I know I don´t have that much time in the program, so to end I want
to share two quotes and my testimony. The first quote I found in the
copy of an orbiter (her ward news letter) that she sent me in the MTC,
which says; "Every sister who stands for truth and righteousness
diminishes the influence of evil. Every sister who strengthens and
protects her family is doing the work of God. Every sister who lives as a
woman of God becomes a beacon for others to follow and plants seeds of
righteous influence that will be harvested for decades to come. Every
sister who makes and keeps sacred covenants becomes an instrument in the
hands of God." - Elder M. Russell Ballard -
Than this last quote I found in a talk by Elder
Holland while I was in the MTC, the name of the article is "However long
and hard the road" and in a part of this talk he talks about how each
of us are building our own temple, each stone of our temple is
experiences, and the part that stood out the strongest to me was this --
"As long and laborious as the effort may seem please keep shaping and
setting the stones that will make your accomplishment, a grand and
imposing spectacle, Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and
grow. Dream, dreams and see visions. Work toward their realization, wait
patiently when you have no other choice. Lean on your sword and rest a
while but get up and fight again. Perhaps you will not see the full
meaning of your effort in your own lifetime. But your children will or
your children´s children will, until finally you with all of them, can
give the Hosanna shout."
We all know that Nanny worked very hard building her temple throughout her life, and today
as we look at her hard work and dedication we can see clearly and
without a shadow of a doubt that her temple is a "grand and imposing
spectacle" that will last throughout the eternities. Nanny has been an
inspiration to many people. Through her hard work, love and compassion
she has touched many people´s lives. "Mary´s life has not been easy. She
is a true example of faith, and enduring to the end. Mary is a friends
to everyone. Her neighbors love her, her co-workers love her, and her
family loves her dearly." She is a great example for everyone to follow.
Don´t worry about me in Chile, I will be fine,
because I know that right now she is by my side and I have had that
confirmation of that in the past few days by the feeling of the spirit
as if it were a fire burning in my chest, and it was the strongest I
have ever felt the spirit and I know it was her. I know that through the
plan of salvation none of us need to have fear, because we can know for
a surety that we can be with our loved ones again. "And that same
sociality which exists among us here, will exist among us there, only it
will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy."
D&C130:2. I know with all my heart and every fiber of my soul that
this church is true, and that through Christ and His Atonement we can
all learn the way back to our Heavenly Father and live forever with
those we love. DO NOT FEAR, DO NOT WORRY, right now start learning about
this plan because that is what our beloved sister, mother, grandmother,
friend, and example would want us to do. Know that she is looking down
on us right now with the biggest smile you can imagine because she can
see the eternal aspect and true meaning of this plan. We will choose
this day to be happy and follow her example, that is what Nanny would
want more than anything is for everyone to do all they can to return and
live with her again, and we can all do this through Christ, so follow
Him. Make her wish come true. I seal these words with my promise as one
of the Lord´s missionaries that all will be well, have no worries. Just
smile and move forward. Remember no experience is a total loss if you
learn from it. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Love Always and Forever,
Hermana Aubrey Jo England
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