My Gifts

Lately I have been kinda in a funk if you will call it. There have been so many things going on around me that have affected me personally or my family that I have had a hard time just being happy, which had added to my funk. This is supposed to be the happiest season of the year. We have just completed Thanksgiving and I have so many things to be thankful for, and we are just starting into the Christmas Season which is wonderful. So I have been trying to think of something that will help me be happy again. I got a wonderful idea from a friend I have just reconnected with. Erin was challenged to list and describe 1 "gift" everyday for the month of December. Reading her "Gifts" made me realize this might be just what I needed to remove my funk. I hope Erin doesn't mind me taking on this challenge as well. So here we go and in no particular order...

Gift #1

Shelley Conway

After a short courageous battle with cancer, Shelley Marie Conway, 47, was called home on November 26, 2008. A native to Arizona, Shelley was born May 15, 1961 and was named Shelley M. Shelley and nicknamed “Shelley Squared”. She married and raised 8 children and one husband! Even though a full time mother, she always made time to help and be involved with serving others in church, school, sports, politics and scouting. She knew by serving others she was serving God which fulfilled her life in every way. Shelley is survived by her husband and best friend Michael, first daughter Britney; sons, Taylor, Gannon, Colter, Lincoln, Prescott, Briggs and her last daughter Zaida Coleen; father, Eldon (Bobbie) Shelley; siblings, Robert Shelley, Richard (Debbie) Shelley, Lyn (Allen) Bracken and Eldona (Jim) Stevens; over 150 nephews, nieces and brothers and sisters-in-law not counting her many aunts, uncles and cousins. Preceded in death by her mother, Zaida Marian Shelley and brother, Asael Reed Shelley. Visitation will be held 6-8:00 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, 2008. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008.

Shelley was the mother of my Porter's best friend. Shelley was a wonderful mother to her 8 kids. She was very supportive of each of her kids. I never knew how she did it, but she was at every event her kids had. Porter spent alot of time at the Conway home. With 6 boys in their family we liked Porter to be around other boys so he could see how boys really act and function. Porter was treated as though he belonged in their family. We felt the same way about Prescott.

When I got word of Shelley's illness (2 months before her passing, and just weeks after news of my Dad's diagnosis of cancer) I became physically ill. I questioned how this could happen to someone so wonderful. I had the opportunity to visit Shelley in the hospital a couple of times and never was there a word of complaint from her. In fact she always asked how I was, or how Porter was doing. I always came away from our visits feeling better.

Shelley's funeral was beautiful! I was not surprised to see the amount of people there to celebrate her life. The entire stake center was packed to the back of the gym. Her dear husband, Michael, choose to speak and invited his kids to share with everyone what they loved about their mom. Talk about a tear jerker! But what a lovely tribute to their wonderful mom. I truly think of Shelley as a gift in my life and am so thankful for the wisdom she shared with me and the wonderful example she was to so many people.