Barry

Barry's friend Kim Smith (maiden name) requested I post some pictures I had of Barry.

Here we are at a Family Reunion. Barry caught a fish. Look how optimistic for such a small fish! And yes, for some reason, at this time- Dave, Todd and Barry needed to have their shirts off for pictures. lol!

This was the first time Barry Holly and I had met our cousins on this side of the family. I loved how quickly the bond was formed. As if we'd hung out all our lives. The Japanese ones in the picture are my mom's sisters, I think she has 9 kids. I am still in contact with Brittany (back row). Barry is the center of the back row. Todd is in the tank, just in front of Barry.


Barry and I went to a party. Here Barry is with the host Jeanette (who worked with me in cosmetics). He found a picture of her two kids, and went and talked to her about them. He sure knew how to make people feel like a million!

Here are the three of us, Me left, Barry then Holly.

Here Barry is on his mission with a family being baptized. I still have most of the letters he wrote me. It's unfortunate that today through email, so much of that personal touch is lost. I'm so glad I have these letters from him, in his handwriting.

A principal at a local school on his mission had a 50th birthday. So Barry did a "number" on his car (says on the back of this picture he mailed to me).

If any of you know Grannis's, you know we're pretty rowdy. We're loud, we play unruly, we are wild. Wild. And for some reason, it's perfectly okay to wrestle even strangers. Here, Barry wrestled with a guy on his mission, and next thing he knew, his bum went through the wall. He loved having a good time, and catching people off guard.

This is a weird picture, you might think. But for some reason, it's been a favorite of mine. We were all telling campfire stories, and at this rare moment, we were all listening to whatever was being told. If you look at our eyes, it's almost like we were all thinking the same thing.

So it is with family, you can finish their sentences, you can love them regardless, you can cry on their shoulder. They know you.

Todd once had a very painful case of appendicitis, and could barely handle light and smells. He didn't even talk much. After having a few people over to help, he was relieved when family showed up (Me, Dave, Holly, Britt, Mom, Susan and Dad):

"family members can guess what the other is thinking. It doesn't take a lot of words or descriptions to make your point".

I thought that was beautifully summarized. It's like what they say about twins learning to talk late in their childhood. They don't need alot of words to communicate with each other, because of their mutual understanding.

So, as I believe, when family members pass away, they give a part of themselves to reside in us. Todd referred it to how when Kwaigon died in Star wars it made Obi Wan Kenobi that much more powerful. Okay, hope I didn't lose you with a Star Wars analogy.

So until we have Barry back in our arms (in the next life), I know he is still with us, reminding us what's most important. Why would he be the most qualified to be our (family and friends) angel? Because he knows us. He could make a point in less words than any most. He could bring us to where we need to be without any words, just feeling his influence.

To close, here's something lovely I read on Andrea's Blog regarding that great reunion one day:

"We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed in the words and powers of life." --Brigham Young

And what a wonderful thought for moms like Andrea, Lynette, Emily, Rachel who have lost their babies. What a wonderful thought at how welcomed they were when they are called to come Home to the God that gave them life. Angels that knew them waited with great anticipation. Angels they recognized when they returned Home. And they were happy to see them!