Mission Reunion

Last night we had the opportunity to go to my mission reunion. It was so great! The mission president who served after my mission president just got home this year and had a reunion of his own so our numbers were greatly decreased. That wasn't too sad to me because last year there were so many missionaries at the reunion that I didn't serve with at all. I'm getting old.

President Allen loves music and LOVES putting people on the spot. So we had a lot of music last night. We sang together. Some elders sang for us. He and Sister Allen sang Love One Another. They always sang that to us at Zone Conferences. Somewhere in all that singing, I realized how much I was enjoying feeling Mission feelings again. Does that make sense? I felt the great love and reverence I have for my mission experience, for the people in Washington, and for the Savior and His gospel. It was wonderful to have a reminder of why the mission was so special to me! There is nothing like sharing something as precious as the gospel with people who grow precious to you in the process.

Though I often feel the Spirit in my life and have felt the joy of sharing the gospel since I came home from the mission, I haven't felt what I felt last night for a long time. It's impossible to describe, and it's wonderful! It was feeling the Spirit and love directly as they related to the mission and the people the same as I felt when I was a missionary.

What makes it even more remarkable in my opinion is that I seem to be a live-in-the-moment kind of person. I have loved my life, but I have a tendency to forget details that friends and family members remember about my past. I love lots of people that I have met throughout my life, but I always seem to feel closest to the people that are more an active part of my life in the present. Does that make sense? No offense to old friends that I rarely see - I love you all. My social life mostly includes people around me now. When we move on from this stage of our lives and this place we live, I probably won't talk to the people here that often or stay in touch. Again, this isn't because I don't love these people. That's just kind of how I am.

Another way to explain it is that I seem to always be most pleased with whatever stage of life I am in, and as much as I love a past stage of life and the people associated with it, I wouldn't want to go back. The only exception I can think of to this is the time right after the mission. I didn't really like that stage, and I definitely wanted to go back to the mission. But now I don't. Right now I think the best life anyone could have is that of a stay-at-home mom with a beautiful baby and a wonderful husband.

So I loved going to the reunion last night, seeing old friends and remembering in my heart a VERY special part of my life.