Bittersweet

I'm sure I am feeling like many of you tonight. A little over an hour ago, I got the call that President Hinckley died tonight. How did you react to that? I didn't break down crying or anything close to it, it was more just absolute shock. Why should I be shocked? He was 97 years old! But he was just awesome! And just spoke at our stake conference 2 weeks ago today on tenderness in marriage with your spouse. It's just unexpected because I never heard he was sick or anything, but he was surrounded by family when he died so he must have known it was coming. I'm so happy for him to be back with his wife. He was so tender and sweet whenever he spoke of her and never failed to mention how much he missed his eternal companion. How awesome a reunion that must have been. I really don't mean to make light of anything, so I hope it is not coming out that way. I love our prophet. He was so happy and vibrant and a man of God that you could not deny that what he was saying was true. You can choose not to follow the counsel yourself, but you cannot deny the power of truthfulness behind the words of God that he spoke. I am going to miss him and his words in general conference and seeing his smile and walking with his cane and his humility when "We Thank Thee, Oh God, For Our Prophet" is sung. I got to sing that to him a few years ago and it was a fantastic experience. I hope everyone else is okay tonight, too.