Remembering

If you ever get my voice-mail you'll hear something that goes like this: "Hi, this is Aubrey, I can't get to the phone right now so leave a message.  Smile and have a great day."  It's been like that for years now.  Some people love it.  Some people, like Mom, tell me it's time to change it.  But the thing is, there's a story behind it.  And the story begins with one of the most remarkable women I've ever known.  Kathleen Briggs.

I first met Sister Briggs when I was thirteen or so and she was serving as my youth leader.  She was one of those women who was educated, beautiful and kind.  She made you feel like you were the most important person in the room and when you spoke to her she made it feel like she had nothing better to do that day than listen to you.

Around the same time she came into my life she was also diagnosed with a vicious form of breast cancer.  It was aggressive and so the doctors attacked it aggressively.  She never complained though.  She always showed up to church with a smile on her face, even if it was a tired smile.  She was in the Young Womens for a majority of my teenage years and during those years she went in and out of remission.  The cancer just wouldn't quit and neither would she.

During those years she taught me a lot.  She taught me how to laugh at myself.  If I was embarrassed by something that had happened at school that day she would share an even more embarrassing story, like when she fell down the grand entrance staircase at BYU while attending a formal or the time the wind blew her wig off while giving a speech outside and everybody started chasing it.

She also taught me to never give up and life wasn't that bad.  How can you complain about teenage woes when you know someone whose fingernails are falling off due to chemotherapy? She was always there even though she held down a full-time job and was very tired by the end of the day. 

I'll never forget the story she told how Audrie had held the door open for her one day after church and she almost wept with gratitude.  She said she was so tired that day that the thought of opening the heavy doors to get out of the church was so overwhelming she just stood there not moving.  I learned that day that simple acts go a long way.

I graduated high school, went to college and got married.  Soon I was back in my home ward and Sister Briggs was now the Stake Relief Society President and I was her visiting teacher.  You could say I was only a little intimidated.  I fumbled through the message, shared my testimony and asked how I could help.  She was going through another round of extremely intensive chemo and informed me that if the cancer didn't kill her the chemo would.  I felt so helpless as I watched her become sicker and sicker.  How was I supposed to serve a woman who had served me for so many years?  Once again she taught me there are many different ways to serve and I found my own way to show her my love and appreciation.

During this time I often called her and often got her answering machine.  Her message went something like "I hope you're smiling and having a great day." 

I'm not sure exactly when I adopted her message but I wanted to spread the same kind of cheer and love she gave to everyone so willingly.  Soon after she moved to be closer to family.  A year or so later I was sitting at my desk, pregnant with Samuel when I received the email.  Kathleen had passed away. 

So, I probably won't ever change my voice-mail.  It's my way of honoring her.  To remember to live my life to the fullest and to smile, because today is a GREAT day.