Sixteen Years Ago Today

Sixteen years ago today, our family received a phone call that I will never forget. It was my niece, Samantha's, second birthday. She had been at her babysitters and had been taking a nap. She past away without warning during that nap.

I remember getting all the children ready to go to Samantha's second birthday party we were to have that evening at McDonalds. I then received a phone call (I actually can't even tell who called...crazy) telling me that Samantha had past away and that Steve and June (her parents) were at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with her little body. The feelings that raced through my mind are indescribable. I quickly called Greg who went immediately to be with his heartbroken brother. I ran next door and asked the Lee family to please watch my four children(ages 6-6 months) so that I could join Greg at the hospital. I then drove to the hospital to be with Steve, June, Greg and the numerous other family members that had gathered. I will never forget walking into the room and seeing the utter devastation and sadness on June's face as she held her little girl. It makes me tear up now thinking about it.

Greg was a rock. He helped his brother do everything in the coming days...write the obituary, secure a plot in the cemetery, work with the funeral home...everything. I never saw him cry once until the funeral. I think he just knew he needed to be strong until everything was taken care of. He was wonderful.

I really had a hard time. I had babysat this little girl for almost the entire duration of her little life. When she was six weeks old June had asked me to watch her while she returned to work. I continued caring for Samantha until about two months prior to her passing away. I had received a really strong impression that I needed to stop caring for her. I remember telling June that I felt it was time for me to stop watching her and she was actually pretty upset and did not understand why. I actually did not really understand either, but I knew the spirit was talking to me and that I needed to listen. How thankful that I did. I cannot imagine the terror my four little children would have experienced if Samantha had been in our home when this happened. How grateful I am for promptings of the spirit.

I had also been asked by June to help dress Samantha's little body in preparation for the burial. This was a something that I really struggled with. Because of her sudden death, an autopsy had been performed and I was very concerned with what I was going to see. The thought of her little body not perfect anymore was very troubling for me. I remember the night before we were to go dress her, I prayed to my Father in heaven to please strengthen me to get through this experience and to be strong for June.

The next morning as I was beginning to wake up, yet not quite completely coherent, I had a very insightful dream. I dreamed that I was at the funeral home along with the other family members that had gathered to dress her sweet, little, body. Samantha was laying on a table and all of us were surrounding her and quietly crying and about to begin the task of dressing her. It was at this moment that Samantha suddenly sat up and started to smile and slowly got down from the table. I remember telling her to please sit still, we needed to get these clothes on her body. At this point she began to run around the room laughing and we all struggled to put the white dress on her. At this moment in my dream, I woke up. A feeling of warmth and love spread throughout my entire body and I all at once knew that whatever I was to see at the funeral home that day, it was not Samantha. She was happy and in a far better place. She was perfect and her tiny body was perfect as well. I knew that she lived.

I will forever treasure this experience as well as the time that I spent watching this child for almost two years during her short mortal stay on earth. Happy Birthday Samantha! We love you and can't wait to see you again and give you a big hug!!!