A Husband's Tribute To His Wife

A Husband’s Tribute  to his wife.

Yes, the Kilimanjaro climb is both a symbolic and a physical challenge climb.    Spencer and I will  reach the summit  to the “Rooftop Of Africa”  to thank her for all she’s done for us at the pinnacle of her life and when we come down the mountain we will carry her in our hearts and memories into a new future.  Below is what was shared at Lana’s memorial service, February 14, 2015. 

Lana’s Tribute

Today I want to Celebrate her life with you all! Everyone of you.  Lana and I have over the years, over the decades, connected with you in one fashion or another and each connection or contact is precious.  I want to celebrate her life’s impact on your life however it had happened.

I can tell you many things about Lana but that would take all day.  Today I want to highlight just a few.

Her Servanthood

When we purchased our current home in 1983 Lana found a new passion, cooking. She started  inviting a few people over for dinner. The “few” people started to grow as the years went by. Eventually we started having lots of BBQ’s in the summers, then Christmas dinners where it grew  from 10-12 people in the early years to as many as 60+ people in our little house.  When you come to one of our holiday dinners you will not go away hungry. She made sure  you were well fed.  This was what she did for ten years before Spencer came.

Her Motherhood

When Spencer came along in 1993 she discovered  motherhood with a passion.  She  wanted to give Spence opportunities and enrolled him in swimming, piano, soccer, baseball, French immersion school right from elementary and high school. Spencer was even enrolled into a Chinese mandarin school.  Unfortunately, Spencer never grabbed hold of the opportunities  available to him.    Her passion grew So much so  that she felt the need to  bring a whole van load  of kids home  to take care of. She started an after school care program. We had to get a van  to pick up kids and drop them off  at times.  Her motherhood also extended to Spencer’s friends  right from Elementary school to well past high school graduation.

Her devotion:

In 1984,  my glaucoma had hit a crisis point. The doctors gave me 1 year before I would go totally blind.  It was a difficult time for both of us as we struggled with what to do .  The doctors eventually performed experimental surgery and managed to save one eye. I went through about ten or more operations and Lana walked with me through all of them. She would drive me to multiple hospitals depending on the surgery needed and visited me everyday.  She roller coaster rode with me through setbacks and successes as Dr’s tried different medical treatments. She never wavered in her devotion to me in my struggle to save my vision.  I guess this time it was my turn to return the favor.

Her Hope In Heaven

Jeff and I sat in the ICU lounge waiting to see Lana and just shooting the breeze. He said, “at least you have your faith”. If Auntie Lana passes away you will see her in heaven. For many others who do not have this faith there is no more future after death. Life is just on planet earth and when you pass away from this earth, that’s it. There’s nothing to    look forward to. There is no heaven. Is Lana in heaven?  There is no doubt in my mind that she is in heaven.

However, the most difficult part of this whole experience is that we never got a chance to talk before she passed away. Everything happened so fast that many of us were caught short in many ways. With that being said, we will have to meet again in heaven to complete our conversation.

I want to give tribute to her grace. Her undeserved kindness to Spencer and I and her grace to all of you.  I want the world to know Lana was a devoted wife who gave her love to me without reservation and a loving mother to our miracle son, Spencer.

Thank you my  beloved wife, my beloved Lana.  Until we meet again to finish our conversation, God Bless!

Your husband, Bill.