Goosebumps

Ever do something that sends chills up your back. Maybe you've listened to a song that makes your arm hair stand up and give you goosebumps? I usually don't get these, but when I do its because of a song. I was asked to play a piano solo in church. As you can imagine I freaked out. I was so nervous. I had picked out a piece that my sisters and I had sung at my grandfather's funeral when I was 15. He and I shared a lot of memories. He was the first to throw me on a horse, that I remember, he actually taught me how to ride. I'll never forget all the memories that we have just with horses. A lot of life lessons learned from feeding horses, saddling them up, grooming, and riding them.

I get teary eyed just remembering these times. There was this one time I got bucked off pretty hard and landed in the gravel and I said, I remember my exact words, "There is no way I'm getting back on that damn horse." Firstly, I was scolded to not swear and he grabbed her, the horse, and said you're gonna get back on her and make her do what you want. I was only 12 I believe. That was the biggest lesson he had taught me, he walked with me and told me life really is like a horse, you're gonna be thrown off and stepped on and all sorts of things but you gotta dust the dirt off get back up and not let them win. Yeah Yeah we all have heard this analogy but I hadn't. I thought this man was a guru for sure. So wise.

After he died there was this one horse that my grandma was set on getting. For some reason I just didn't want anything to do with her, she just gave off this weird feeling and I did not like it. Well, my grams got me to get on her and ride her around. We got riding and next thing I know shes putting on her brakes trying to throw me off didn't get me off so she put her head down and backing into the fence. She rolled on me and fractured my femur and some bones in my hand. It was amazing that I didn't get it worse. I hated that horse so much. I wanted to put a bullet in her head but I could only thing about how I needed to get back on her and show her who was boss. It was my grandpa I just knew he would be shaking his head if I didn't. So I did and I haven't got on her since my second saddle up with her.

We used to talk about dumb stuff, he got me hooked on eating potatoes for lunch for a whole summer. He broadened my horizons with veggies, I now love just about every vegetable but peas-thank goodness he didn't grow those, he would have made me eat them haha. This man taught me all about hard work and how things are to be done completely the first time with no complaining. He wasn't a miracle worker and that's why I enjoy complaining before doing anything.

Well, that whole Sunday morning I just kept praying that I wouldn't be nervous. I didn't care if I messed up playing. I just didn't wanna be nervous. So here comes the weird thing; just before it was my turn to get up and play I said it once more but added, "play well enough that grandpa would be proud." Just as I finished saying that I immediately felt this calming warmness it was weird. That side of the room was freezing too! I started to cry. I knew it was him. I played my piece, and cried the whole time. I didn't care! I was still nervous, but it was weird to experience that. Call me whatever but I had been searching all year for a testimony builder. I had been struggling with life and whatever. I was being your good molly Mormon, reading scriptures praying going to church but just didn't feel like I was getting anywhere. But to have that experience happen then to text my grandmother immediately after it had happened and she KNEW he was with me. It just touched my heart.

I needed to share this. People need to know that there is more after we die. We do not just die and that's it. There is so much more. And just by having this happen has help me understand life so much more. I've been going through a rough time because he and one of my good friends had passed before I had wished. But I am more at peace now. I'm not the kind of person to do this but if any of you want to know more about life after death and what I believe please visit lds.org You'll be glad you did! Or even feel free to ask me :)

XO,
MelFlo