Farewell to my Mother

My sweet, wonderful mother, Gae Beckstrom, passed away peacefully in her sleep yesterday morning. While I think my feelings are still a bit too raw to discuss a whole lot, I wanted to let everyone know that we are doing okay. We were blessed to know that this was coming, so we had time to prepare our hearts and minds for this change and to say all that needed to be said. And we are so relieved she is no longer suffering from the cancer that has plagued her these last 3 1/2 years. But we will miss her terribly! I am sure that the grieving will come in waves and layers. For now, my brain seems to be a bit numb from absorbing the reality that she is gone. My mother-in-law says she thinks that the numbness is one of the blessings of the Comforter, taking the edge of the painfulness of it all so that we can deal with what needs to be done. I am grateful for eternal perspective, for the plan of salvation, and the knowledge that Mom will be well and whole the next time we see her.

The obituary will run in the paper on Sunday, but I thought I would post it here so that those who want to know about the viewing and funeral can plan in advance:

"Gae Terena Morrow Beckstrom (56) loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher, and friend, born July 22, 1955 passed away November 10, 2011 after a courageous fight with cancer. She is now reunited with her parents, David Lendrum Morrow III and Yvonne Easthope Morrow and brother Roy Morrow.
"She is survived by her husband, Blake D. Beckstrom (Taylorsville, UT); her children, Erin (Jonathan) Thomas (West Valley City, UT), Emily (David) Smith (Kearns, UT), Adam (Andrea) Beckstrom (Alexandria, VA), and Jamilyn (Nathan) Morris (Taylorsville, UT); sisters Dawn (Mark) Yarbro (Ft. Worth, TX), Rachel Morrow (Kearns, UT) and brother Darren (Becky) Morrow (Riverton, UT); and 7 grandchildren. Her family is the love of her life and she lived to serve them.
"Gae and Blake met at Kearns High School and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 24, 1977. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education and an Early Childhood Development specialty. She loved teaching children. Gae taught kindergarten at David Gourley Elementary for 5 years before retiring to raise her growing family. After a few years, she opened a home preschool (Early Bird) which she taught for 17 years. She returned to public school in 2002, teaching kindergarten at Lone Peak Elementary and then Monte Vista Elementary schools. She touched the lives of hundreds of young children who brought immense joy into her life. During her last two years, while teaching full-time and fighting cancer she was driven to complete her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from SUU. She also had an undying love for animals of all kinds. She loved music, played the guitar and instilled a love of music in her children. She taught her children and grand children to read and to love books. She filled many ward and stake church callings in Primary, Young Womens’, and Relief Society as a teacher and leader and served in the Jordan River Temple as an ordinance worker. She performed humanitarian service helping orphans in Romania. She was loved and will be deeply missed by all her knew her.
"Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 16th at 11:00 AM at the Bennion 12th Wardhouse (6540 S. 2700 W., Taylorsville, UT). Friends may visit at a viewing beginning an hour before the funeral or at McDougal Funeral Home (4330 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT) on Tuesday, November 15th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM."

Love and miss you so much, Mom!