Seven graduates ... no graduations! Taisley Welch

Taisley Welch, second-to-the-youngest of Rick and Stacy Sappington Welch's 6 daughters, was set to finish her education as a Dixie High School Flyer on May 20, 2020. But like millions of other high school students, she will not cross the stage to receive her diploma due to the deadly coronavirus which has now killed more than 50,000 in the United States and at least 205,000 people to date around the world.

Taisley's describes her high school days as a combination of interesting, exciting, happy and sad.  Among her favorite memories and most memorable moments, she lists being selected to serve on her school's Hope Squad, a school-based peer-to-peer, suicide prevention program through which she provided many acts of service making her classmates feel valued.  Hope Squad members are students nominated as trustworthy classmates who are then trained to identify at-risk students, provide friendship and seek help from an adult.  

Taisley also "mostly" enjoyed being selected for her high school Cheer Squad on her first tryout.  She cheered for only one year because, while she loved cheering for Flyers football and basketball games (she still does), she quickly grew weary of her squad mates' behind-the-scenes drama.

It was during her junior year, a friend and classmate committed suicide.  "She had a difficult life - bounced around the county by feuding family members. I don't think she really intended to go through with it," says Taisley, "but it was painful to all of us who knew her.  We wish we could have done more."

Our beautiful granddaughter also regrets missing many high school activities because of a longtime relationship with a young man with whom she eventually broke up.  "He is a very nice guy but we are just so different.  I love high school games, dances and other events ... he doesn't," she remembers.

Finally, how can she - and every other graduate in the Class of 2020 - forget the year of the coronavirus, social distancing from family and classmates, missing all the fun of proms, senior sneak days, the excitement of graduation and everything else, all which was replaced by online classwork and cancellation of everything important?

Still, she has a bright future ahead.  In the fall, she will trade her blue and white Flyer uniform to become a red and white Trailblazer at Dixie State University which she will attend on a partial scholarship.  After completing her Associate degree, she plans to attend Southern Utah University to earn a Bachelor degree, although she is not certain yet what she plans to study.

Love this girl ... another wonderful family member who is making us proud with her good decisions and hard work!

As your grandmother, I pray you will always believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.  I can't promise to be here for the rest of your life, but I can promise to love you for the rest of mine, then into always and forever!

FAMILY STORY: Mom's Priesthood Calling

I served as the public relations specialist in the St. George East LDS Stake at the time when we lived in our Morningside neighborhood and for a short while after we moved to Bloomington.  I loved the opportunity to work with President Tad Derrick helping him get information out to the members of the stake and the community about what was happening under his stewardship.  

After about six months, President Derrick called to say he was going to need to release me because he had just been informed mine was a priesthood calling. During Stake Conference a couple of weeks later, this amazing Church leader called me to the stand (which is not the way a release generally happens), asked for a vote of thanks for my work as the Stake PR specialist … then immediately called for a sustaining vote for my call to be the Assistant Stake PR specialist to some quiet laughter in the congregation! I served another couple of years in this calling – until the organization of the Bloomington Stake – and he never did call a priesthood leader to my original assignment.

And, while I stood next to him, he told the large congregation, "if the Lord ever sees fit to give the priesthood to women, I would be the first to sustain Sister Sappington!"

PS:  Several years later, as a long time member of the Bloomington 7th Ward, we were all eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new bishop.  Bishop Mike Bair had served five years and 53 days when it was announced he would be released at our upcoming ward conference.  As is always the case, ward members were speculating as to who our new priesthood leader might be.  The subject came up at dinner at Olive Garden with friends Frank Knowles and Bruce Christensen.  Brother Knowles said he knew who it would be and the candidate of his choice was sitting at our table.  Br. Christensen said, "Ed?"  "Nope," replied Brother Knowles.  "I think it's going to be Sister Sappington!"

FAMILY STORY: Missing my Nana today

It was 20 years ago today when, on April 5, 2000, Verda Carol Godwin Bradford left this world wanting to “make it home in time for His birthday party” she told me the day before her passing.

My maternal grandmother – known to all of her family as Nana - was singularly the most significant influence in my life. She was my mother, teacher, friend and confidante especially through my teenage years when she lived next door to our family in Huntington Park, CA. She loved to cook – especially the best lemon meringue pies, refrigerator cookies, apple crisp and chicken and dumplings which I have never been able to duplicate - but didn’t leave any recipes behind. She loved to travel but didn’t learn to drive until she was in her 50’s. She was a savvy and successful businesswoman in the 1950-60’s when the world was still trying to define women in the workplace.

She loved teenagers and her calling to teach them in Sunday School where she was always prepared with wonderful lessons and her love and constant reaching out brought many inactive teens back to church. She had a wonderful sense of humor despite difficult personal and family heartaches. One of her closest friends was Nellie Hunter, mother of LDS Church President Howard Hunter. Whenever they were together, there would always be gales of laughter. Their bishop once told them he was going to have to separate them if they couldn’t behave.

She loved every member of her family unconditionally and with all her heart and soul. Born to pioneer parents, she had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and treasured her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints always seeking ways to “lengthen her stride.”

She wrote poetic gems for every occasion and for every family member or friend. When inspiration hit her, she would pen her simple masterpieces on the backs of envelopes or napkins until she could get them typed up.

She also loved General Conference … and immediately after the final “amen” my phone would ring. For the next hour or so, Nana and I would catch up while also sharing our favorite talks and experiences.

Twenty years have passed since my last conversation with my Nana … and I still miss her, especially at the close of conference weekend.