Beccy: An Unfinished Woman

This has nothing to do with our May or June reads, but I want to share this poem with y’all. There are other excerpts of this author’s now-out-of-print books I would love to share if I can track them down--you would all appreciate them. Jaroldeen Edwards was a remarkable woman. She has had a marked influence on my life! She has been a member of my ward these past 4 years, and died on Friday morning (May 30). She was a mother of 12(!) children (grandma to 76 grandchildren), a gifted author (had published some 6 or 7 novels and essay collections), a fabulous teacher, a frequent Women’s Conference speaker, a gospel scholar. She was warm and funny, colorful and wise. We became close at about the same time Mom was diagnosed with cancer, and I found great comfort in our friendship. I took a writing (enrichment) class from her and learned much; more about the gospel and about life than about writing. I adored her.

One of her 8 daughters read this poem at her funeral, which was attended by President Eyring. A member of the First Presidency in our chapel! Wow. He was her late husband’s cousin and knew her well from when she and her husband served a mission in South Africa.

Another daughter who lives in Texas told how when Grandma (Jaroldeen) and Grandpa came to visit, sometimes they would have to leave very early in the morning before the grandchildren were awake. Jaroldeen would put on an extra coating of bright red lipstick, and kiss each one of the children on the forehead, so that when they awoke, they knew they were loved. :)

Here is the link to her obituary if you’re curious:

http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/268483/


An Unfinished Woman

Here am I, Lord,
The dishes barely done and night long since fallen,
The children would not go to bed
And would not go and
Would not go -
And now they are gone.
Gone to places of their own with children of their own
Who will not go to bed and will not go . . .
And I have taught them what I could and
They have learned the things they would
And now they’ve gone their way alone to learn the rest
Most on their own.

And I remain, not half spent.
And I remain, not yet content,
So much to do, so much to learn,
So much to fell, so much to yearn.
My past mistakes make stepping-stones,
Not millstones great around my neck but
Stones to guide my searching feet -
And I must search; I’m incomplete.

I watch my years go tumbling by
And I must use them better, I
Have yet so much to learn and do
Before I can return to You.

The hour is late. The night comes on,
My celestial self I would become.
Ah! What wisdom thou gavest to mortal life--

I,
As sister, mother, daughter, wife -
In earthly roles have seen Thy face.
In my womanly life Thy heavenly place
Is taught through humble tasks and plain.
So, if royal robes I would obtain,
To wear as all Thy glories burst -
I’ll need to do the laundry first.

--Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards