A SUMMER READ--THE TUB PEOPLE

Today we got a call from one of our grandchildren, Joe Cool. He said he and Hollywood wanted to come over. What for? Just to come over. They did and then Mary Poppins called and wanted to come too. Just to come over. Not to do anything special.

I fixed some lunch--not much, just a peanut butter and honey sandwich and some grape slush and then we sat on the lawn swings and I read books to them. They were content to just sit there and let me read and read. It was like old times when I used to read to my own children.

One of the books I read was by the author Pam Conrad called THE TUB PEOPLE. I saw her years ago at a BYU Writer's conference. I was impressed with the love she had for her stories. In fact, hearing her passion was maybe one of the reasons I thought I might want to write.

THE TUB PEOPLE is one of my favorite picture books. Joe Cool, Mary Poppins and Hollywood said it was one of their favorite books too so I must have read it to them before. It is about loss and reuniting.

The Tub Boy is lost down the drain. No one smiles anymore. Finally a plumber comes and rescues him but puts him in the bottom of the tool box, snaps it shut and leaves. And then...they are all reunited on a soft bed. It is exactly like my belief of death and resurrection. I told the grandchildren what I thought the book was really about and hope they understood.

Pam is gone now, she died young, she was 48. She died almost exactly eight years ago. She left a legacy of wonderfully written books that I treasure.

I also hope that someday, my grandchildren might remember a summer day, sitting on the lawn swings, slurping grape slush and listening to their grandmother read wonderful words to them. I hope they might remember that she talked about comforting things, about death not being totally sad because the Savior made resurrection possible for all of us. I hope they will remember that we will all be together again.

We have all lost someone so Pam's words are comforting. Comforting for me. I hope they are comforting for you.

It was a good summer day. Sitting on the lawn swings, reading and having three of my grandchildren all to myself.