Mom of a Returned Missionary. Reflecting on it all.

My son has been home from his mission for over a month now.  This past month has been busy with doctor appointments to make sure he didn't have any hidden illness from being in a foreign country for two years.  Visiting the college he will attend in the fall.  There are lots of things to figure out with that.  He is back working and so we have the daily drive to work and back.  I am also trying to get him driving more.  My kids are not the type of kids that have a grand desire to drive.  But we are getting there.

We have been catching up with each other and sharing about what happened in our lives over the last two years.  I've enjoyed trying some of the new foods that he fell in love with in Mexico.  This is a mango.  It's really good.  We have enjoyed listening to his stories of the things he did in Mexico.
I have to say there are some things that I'm glad I did not know about while he was away.

My son said the other day he was glad he was home.  I am glad to have him home.

There is more laughter in our house now.  My husband is less stressed too. 

There is a balance that was missing when he was away. It's amazing how each of us

contributes to our family circle.

It's wonderful to watch my children reconnect.  I'm glad that they are close to each other.

There is one thing that I have thought recently, it sometimes feels as if he was never away.

Those two years seem to have floated away in the mist of my mind. It makes me wonder about

the life to come when we graduate from this life and enter our eternal life.

Are there spirits on the other side waiting our return, do they remember a time when we

were with them.  When we pass to the other side after a few weeks of being back

will it feel as if we had never left.  I read books about the other side and it says there really is 

no time there.  It's very hard for my mortal brain to understand the timelessness of eternity.

As I have reflected on my sons mission there have been many occasions where it seems to parallel our own missions here on earth.  We leave the presence of our Heavenly Father to come here on our

"Earthly Mission", we live here and are tested and learn and then

we graduate and return to our "Eternal Life".  In each stage there is preparation and learning there is leaving and returning.  I think that there are spirits that are waiting for us, watching over us and planning a big celebration at our return.  Just like the journey our missionary son took.  I think probably once we graduate this life, all the pain, sorrow and hard times will float away from our memory and we will feel like this life was just a small part of a much bigger plan.  We will look back and see all we learned and accomplished and realize that it was worth it, but also be very glad to be back to that eternal world.

What do you think?

G.G.