My Eulogy for my darling Mom.

Tonight was my mom's funeral. She passed away Friday morning. I don't know if I can type about that quite yet. Maybe eventually it will become less painful.
But for now I will leave you with the Eulogy that I read for her tonight.
I love you mom. I will never forget you. Promise.

Eulogy for Gail Youngblood

I would like to start out by saying Thank you to everyone for being here and for showing your support. Thank you for your help throughout these past few months. Thank you for your love and friendship, for the prayers that have been offered on our behalf. We have felt them. Thank you for the meals. Thank you to those who have held my hand figuratively and literally through all of this. It is such a blessing to know that my mom was so very loved.

My mom was born in Martinsburg West Virginia. She was an only child for 5 whole years till her parents gave birth to her brother Gary and then very quickly after that came Geri Lynn.  My mom was fun loving little girl. She loved to play dress up! Geri Lynn recently told me how My mom would dress up as Alice cooper for her using their dad’s top hat.

My mom told me many stories of going sledding during the winters and how she would lifeguard during the summers. She even taught swimming lessons for a while.

She had a love for what we now consider to be classic rock. My mom entertained my husband and I one night telling stories us of all the bands she was able to see perform, bands that my husband can only now dream of seeing. She was very proud that she only had to pay 5$ to see Led Zeplin.

She always had an artistic flair to her. When she was in high school she would paint her bell-bottoms with flowers and peace signs. She had all the walls in her room painted too. As she got older she did a lot of costume design in college. She painted all the time when I was younger too. I even had a pillowcase that my mom painted scenes from Pinocchio on when I was 5.  She painted large sheets to use as numerous backdrops for ward parties, road shows, daddy daughter dances, and even one for my eighth grade dance.

My mom had a love for theatre! She was in shows during high school and also into college for a while. Her favorite plays that she did were Carasoul and South Pacific.

My mom was a beautiful lady. I don’t think anyone that ever met her would deny that. She even won miss Berkly County when She was in high school.

As my mom got older she moved from West virgina to Florida to Texas and eventually found her way to California.

My mom lived an interesting life full of adventures, hard times and a lot of trails. She told me often that for many years she was lost trying to find something. Yet she didn’t know what that something was. She told me that when she met my dad he helped save her life. She prayed for answers on what church to join and was lead to the LDS or Mormon faith. She realized that the “something she had been looking for” was the gospel and her family and together my mom and dad figured out what life was really about and they taught my brother and I the things that really matter about living here on this earth.

My mom taught me so many things. I owe so much of who I am today to her. And most of the things she taught me were from her example.

My mom taught me to have a love for the arts. We would go to museums together whenever we could and enjoy all the different works. We went to so many theatre shows together. My mom instilled in me a love for music and acting and She encouraged me to sing and to act. She always told me how much she loved my voice and we would spend countless car rides singing at the top of our lungs. I love to see performances because it reminds me of my mom and it will forever. I love to sing because it reminds me of her sweet encouragement. I can see her plain as day sitting at every choir/theatre show I ever did smiling up at me. Always making me feel so important and talented.

My mom taught me about kindness. My mom told me that when she was in high school she was a cheerleader. She said a girl walked by who was not very popular and my mom saw her sweater and told the girl that she LOVED it. My mom said the girl started to smile and got so excited and exclaimed, ”Thank you it was my grandmas!” As the girl walked away my mom realized that the sweater was actually kind of ugly and she hadn’t seen it very well but because it had made the girl so happy to hear that she liked it she just kept it to herself.  My mom used this story to tell me that she wished she had cared in high school about making more people smile then about being popular. She always told me that the best compliment anyone could get is to have someone say that you are the kind to everyone. Well mom, I didn’t know you in high school but for as long as I knew you, you were kind to everyone. She really was. I have been getting letters and notes from people so I can compile stories of my mom into a book. And the thing that I have read the most is how kind and sweet my mom was to everyone and how she genuinely made them feel loved. I can only hope to develop that trait like her.

My mom taught me about faith. When my father passed away I was only 13. My mom was left with two kids all alone. And yet she never once said a harsh word against God. She was always telling my brother and I how grateful we should be that we are a family forever.

She never doubted and never feared. She was a woman of exemplarily faith. She always knew that trials and hardships were for our benefit, learning and growth and that despite all the pains that this world would bring to us we would live forever with our Heavenly father and with our Families someday. And she always rejoiced in that knowledge.

My mom taught me about positivity. Someone said to me the other day how positive my mom was. And it is true. She really always worked on that. She would always say, “now let’s look on the bright side!” When things would be tough for me or if I had a bad day she would ask, “Janelle… what can you learn from this?” That was just how my mom was. Always trying to grow and be better.

My mom taught me about dedication. Not many of you know this but my mom read her scriptures everyday for almost an hour. She would wake up early and read. She went to the temple regularly. She ALWAYS fulfilled her callings. When she joined the church she gave up her old ways without ever looking back. And she celebrated the Lord for helping her in all things. My mom understood true obedience.

One of the greatest lessons she taught me was about love and service.

My mom truly loved everyone. If she didn’t get along with someone, which was rare, she would offer prayers that she could learn to love them.  And she always did. I have countless memories of coming home after a rough day of school and telling my mom why so and so hurt my feelings or how so and so just bugs me. She would say, “Why don’t you say a prayer that you can learn to love them.” That was not always what I wanted to hear. But when I followed her advice I was always happy.

My mom never judged anyone. She tried to find the best in everyone. She truly loved all. I have had more then one person tell me in the past few days how they loved to talk to Gail because she would just listen. She didn’t care what they would say and they knew that she would always love them.

She truly had a Christ like love for all. I admired that so much about her and I hope above all else that is something I can acquire.

My mom was always trying to serve others. Most of her service she did without even thinking. She smiled at everyone. She was kind to everyone.

She would give to anything to anyone. If you asked her for something, she would find a way to make it happen for you.

She constantly had our friends at her house. She was always talking to teenagers, listening to them and helping them to feel loved.

My mom served in her ward callings. She was in young women’s for so long. She touched so many girls lives, I am sure I don’t even know. She went to girl’s camp every year with me. She would chaperone every field trip in school.  I always had kids coming up to me saying,…”Gosh I wish she was my mom.”

My mom always gave her all, did her best and put her heart into everything. She loved everyone she met. She gave without hesitation. And She had a laugh that was so contagious.

Her smile really did brighten my day.

She had the greatest sense of humor. Her and I could laugh for hours over absolutely nothing. We would make up songs. My brother, her and I could find anything to sing about and keep it going all day. We used to joke that we were the best comedy routine around.

My mom always told me that we were best friends. And we really were.

We were meant to be mother and daughter. Our spirits are so similar.

Saying that I will miss her is an understatement.

I know that she loved Jimmy and me. She gave us everything. We were her life as she always reminded us. I know that she loved my Addie. She adored her and I am so grateful she was able to meet her.

But I know, without a doubt in my mind that she is so happy. She has been without my dad for 11 years. I can’t even imagine how joyous that reunion must have been. I know that we will be a family forever. I will do all I can to make sure that I will be worthy.

I know that when the day comes that I meet both my parents again we will have so many stories to tell. I know that they will be looking after me for the rest of my earthly life. There will forever be a piece of my heart that will ache because I miss them.  But I do not weep thinking that they are sad. I know that they are together.

My mom was a woman who did all she could to please her Heavenly Father and our Savior. She often sang the words” I want to be a window to his love, so when you look at me you will see him” And she was. People knew our Savior’s love because of the Love that my mom showed and so freely gave. I will strive so that something similar can be said about myself someday.

I know everyone here was somehow touched, inspired or taught by Gail.

I am so glad that she is no longer in pain here on this earth. She fought so hard. She did so much.

And now she is with my dad smiling.

Oh how I miss her. Not a day will go by when I won’t think of her, for I truly am who I am today because of her.

I love her more than words can express. And I anxiously wait for the day when we will meet again in a loving embrace.

But until then she will live on here on this earth through the memories and stories that we share.

I am so grateful for my Savior and that through him I will be with my darling mother forever.