"How are my little sweethearts?" That was how my sisters and I were greeted each time we saw Grandpa. On July 19, 2008, my grandfather, Ezra T. Clark, passed away peacefully at his home at the age of 93. I loved my Grandpa Clark and always felt it an honor and privilege to bear his name and to be counted as part of his posterity. I held on to the hope of passing this Clark name on to my first born son, which I did in 1995. As I have tenderly thought about his life, his example, his struggles and his triumphs, I am struck once again with the realization of how important our families are, and the ripple effect that is felt through the generations. What do I remember of my Grandpa? Visiting his home almost every summer, his big roll top desk, the intrigue of his workshop and tools, the baby pictures of his six children hung in his bedroom (the inspiration for my own children's pictures), the blue and white decor of his Bountiful home, faint recollections of visiting him at the bank in Farmington, his personal home library with plush purple velvet chairs, the yearly birthday checks, walking down the path to visit Grandma Howard, peacocks, and peanut brittle, playing "Stump Grandpa" with my own children and recent Thanksgiving dinners. What did I learn from my Grandpa? The value of money, the joy of reading, his respect and care for the elderly, especially his own mother and Grandma Howard, the importance of hard work. Unflortunately, Grandpa was not active in the church, but he raised a son with a sensitivity to the whisperings of the Spirit and a desire to know and gain for himself a testimony of the gosepl...that is my Dad. The ripple effect continues and I ask myself the question...How am I living my life? How will I be remembered?
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