Tuesday, May 15, 2012

How to help a friend who is grieving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl2KrueyvIY&feature=email

I just received this in an email from a good friend. I believe it is timely advice - and the video may be helpful to those of us who don't know what to say or do now. My husband (Michael's father) passed away many years ago. Most people were kind and compassionate - and I appreciated that so much. I also remember close friends who ignored me and my children, and pretended everything was still normal. Being ignored hurts more than anything. Watching this video may be helpful for those who don't know what to say or do to let the Lott family know you care. I think the biggest thing is to just do something! Sympathy cards with heartfelt messages will be read over and over. Just be kind, and be there. After a couple of weeks are up, there is a tendency to forget those who are grieving. Their lives will never be the same again. A little compassion and caring will never be forgotten, and will always be appreciated.

My heart is touched by the love and caring I have seen given to Michael and Catherine and their family. They live in a great ward and have wonderful neighbors and friends. You can see by the count on this blog how many people care about them. Saying thank you can never be enough for everyone's concern and help. From this mother and grandmother's heart, please accept my sincere thanks!

Love and hugs,

Grandma Jeri

(My grandchildren call me Grandma Jeri)

Ryan's Obituary

I wanted to post Ryan's obituary on the blog for anyone who may not have access to the papers that it was published in today:


Ryan Stanley Lott, 14, returned to his Heavenly Father on May 12, 2012.  He was born on March 16, 1998 in Logan, UT.  He was the second of five children (4 boys, 1 girl).
Ryan enjoyed the outdoors and loved camping and fishing.  He was looking forward to becoming an avid hunter, even though he hadn’t quite made it there yet.  He had a wonderful personality and always had a smile on his face.  He was our “teddy bear,” had a kind heart and loved little children.  He loved spending time with his family, especially his cousins.  He was an exceptional student and was working diligently on getting his Eagle Scout and Duty to God awards.  He loved the University of Texas Longhorns (we’re not quite sure why, but think it may have been the Horns logo).
He will be greatly missed by his parents, Michael and Catherine Lott of Hooper, Utah; his siblings, Alex (16), Jaime (11), Adam (6) and Ethan (3); grandparents, Jeri Moon Lott of Malad, ID, Stanley J. Lott (deceased) and Bob and Marylyn Regen of Newton, UT; relatives and all those who knew him.
A gathering will be held in remembrance of him from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, 2012, at the Hooper LDS stake center at 5375 South 5900 West, Hooper, UT.  Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 18, 2012.  There will be a gathering prior to the funeral from 9:30-10:30 a.m.  Interment will be in the Hooper cemetery in Hooper, UT (immediate family members only please at the cemetery). 
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all those who have helped during this difficult time.  These include family, friends, neighbors, classmates and our “angels in scrubs” at Primary Children’s Medical Center.
If interested in following Ryan’s story, visit http://ryanlottupdates.blogspot.com.
We will all miss you Ryan, but know that you have been called back home.

Here are the papers where the obituary was published.

Standard-Examiner (Ogden, UT) http://www.standard.net/topics/deaths - Only an abbreviated notice appears here with access to the full obituary available only to those who subscribe to the Standard-Examiner ePaper.
The Idaho Enterprise (Malad, ID) No online version available.