We leave tomorrow morning for the US and I'm finding that I have to be careful not to think too much about moving away from this place. When I do think about it, my heart gets all squeezy in my chest and I start to weep, thinking about all the beautiful family memories we have made here. Sometime soon I'll write a happy post about highlights of living here for five years, but right now is not that time.
Saying goodbye can bring with it a wave of emotions at the strangest times and places. I was blindsided by tears on Friday as I said goodbye to one particular person at church. Not lady friends I've bonded with over the years, or treasured mentors in the gospel, or the parents of my children's friends. No - the time I started flat-out crying was when I hugged a man goodbye who is probably ten years older than me, with kids who don't really hang out with mine, who I have never really socialized with outside of church. But this man! He is amazing. When I was Primary President (in charge of the children's Sunday School), this guy was my right hand. And even though I'm not Primary President anymore, he still calls me Boss. While we've been here, he's been there, in the background, quietly serving, making sure stuff gets done. I love people who make sure stuff gets done!
So when he said goodbye to me, so help me, I cried.
I'll tell you what, some of the best people in the world are tucked away in this country, working at jobs that will never see the limelight and quietly making life awesome for others. I'll gather the emotional strength to mourn the passing of this beautiful era in my family's life over the next few weeks; for now, I'm going to miss specific people who have shown me how to be a better person during my time here.
