WARNING: I have a feeling the following list could be long, boring and of limited appeal. But I want to get stuff down before I forget. Because five minutes from now I will have forgotten everything. Such is middle age-ish.
1. Avoid going to the SLC airport on a Wednesday. It was a mob scene. I've never seen so many people waiting for missionaries.
2. A surefire to feel like a Mormon loser is to not have homemade signs welcoming the missionary home. I did buy a banner that said WELCOME HOME from Party America. But everybody made fun of me.
3. Elder Cannon and all of his clothes smell like mildew.
4. I can't understand him when he talks to me on the phone even though he is speaking English.
5. It occurred to me as I was cleaning his room earlier this week that I'm done with another part of my life again. It's not that I want to send more kids on missions, but this is just another rite of passage.
6. It also means I'm inching toward death.
7. Okay. Forget #6. It may be true, but I'm not anywhere near as morbid as that sounds.
8. My heart breaks a little for Q right now. I know he's happy to be home. But I think this transition is hard. Bittersweet, as Lana Barney said.
9. He called from the airport in Atlanta at 5:00 a.m. yesterday to tell me that he was fine and that he's a vegetarian again. I'd be disappointed if he weren't.
10. Really, one of the best hugs I have ever received in my entire life was the one he gave me in the airport. I didn't think I was going to cry. But I did.
11. I really should have made him a homemade sign.
12. On the other hand, at least no one can accuse our family of going over the top like other families there.
13. Some poor guy at the airport asked me what was up with all the people. I think he thought Kanye West was in the house.
14. For once Ken Cannon's tendency to run late caught up with him. He was still trying to park the car when Q. came down the escalator.
15. We went to lunch at Rio Grande where all the brothers immediately turned into fourteen year-olds again. LOUD ones.
16. I'm sure we didn't leave a big enough tip by way of apology.
17. I was unprepared for more tears when Q took off his missionary bade at the stake president's house.
18. Q and I had a "planning session" this morning so he could make up his schedule for the next 10 days.
19. I am recalling all the other homecomings of the other sons.
20. I'm so glad he's home.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
OMG. This brings tears to my eyes. All of it--the hug, the failure to "sign" (me too), the end of an era, their foreign sounding voices, the loud lunches...all of it. So glad for you that he's home.
Great idea to track your thoughts during exciting times. i sometimes think i will always remember something, and then when I want to recall it, I don't. Thanks for sharing. Not boring at all.
I'm so glad he's home safe!
When you warn about things you write being boring or of limited appeal, I press on with glee. I like it all: inching toward death, having a Party America banner instead of some overdone homemade nonsense, grown men behaving like fourteen-year-olds. I read it to Dutch and we laughed. So there.
My oldest just went into the MTC almost two weeks ago. Although he is on the front end of his mission I so quickly identified with your list. Although I miss him so much already, I am excited for him. The item that really hit me hard was the one about Q taking his badge off in the stake president's office. My son is loving what he is doing right now, even before he gets to Mexico, that I think that moment is going to make both of us cry. I love reading your experiences and feelings about your boys. I have 3 of my own and you help me notice the awesome, tender, and crazy things about being their mom.
Congratulations! And I think this is the perfect list! I won't need it for awhile, but I'll take note all the same. Also, I love that you had a Party America banner instead of an over-the-top homemade one.
That lunch was pretty awesome. Wonderful list, Moms.
Post a Comment