In a few months I will be the same age as my Dad when he died. I have wondered many times what that would feel like. It still seems too young, too premature, and I wasn’t ready to say good bye. While I was holding his hand at about 5:00pm this very day, my Dad took his last breath. That was 30 years ago, I have dearly missed him for all of those years. After Dad found out the melanoma had metastasized, he told me that he wished God would give him a few more years. He had finally met the love of his life, sweet Alice. They were only married for about two years and were so happy. They had dreams of traveling around the United States in Dad's camper.
Ivan Lester Federer worked hard all his life, honored his parents, gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, forgave even when it was difficult, was always helping others, and had great faith.
Referring to the sorrowful Friday on which Jesus’s followers grieved His death and then to the glorious Sunday on which He was resurrected, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:
“Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
“But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
“No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Sunday Will Come,” Ensign, Nov. 2006
How I look forward to the day when I will be with my Dad again.
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