Dear Brother,
Hello missionary. I hope that you’re doing well. Atrain really wants to tell you something exciting, “We’re going to Texas on an Airplane,” he says. Yep. We’re coming to the great lone star state this summer. The little boys and I will only be there for two weeks, but the husband will be doing two month-long rotations at MD Anderson in Houston. It will stink to be without him for the rest of the six weeks, but we will manage. Atrain, Jdog and I can’t wait for our little taste of Texas. It will be a fun vacation.
Speaking of vacations, it’s hard to express how stinking jealous I am of Mom, Dad, Allerina and Dalliwag right now. Hawaii…my second home…the place where I “grew up.” Man, it’s hard not to well up in tears when I imagine them walking through the BYUH campus, or when I think of the adventures they’re having over there without me. But I guess a 5 month old and a 3 year old aren’t exactly conducive to a care free week in a beach cottage, right? Someday I will go back. Someday I will love visiting my old professors, going on the hikes that I should have done when I was studying, snorkeling through reefs that I was too scared to explore and paying insane amounts of money for milk (that I used to water down to make it stretch further while I was there). I’m sure I’ll be calling them for their vacation play-by-play more often than I should.
There are a lot of things I’ve done lately that I shouldn’t. We had a lesson on honesty today and my memory is thick with guilt. Or at least, it should be. I’m conflicted. I’ve been swimming (for exercise) with the Relief Society President in my ward a couple of times. It costs five dollars to go if you don’t have a pass at the University pool. I don’t have a pass, but when I went I brought my money, ready to pay. After they swiped my student ID card and it didn’t work (because I’m an alumna), I told them I wasn’t a current student, but they let me in anyway. “Score!,” I thought. The second time I went, I also had money to pay—just incase—but they let me off again when my card didn’t work (as expected). That time I didn’t tell them that I’m not a current student…I deceived them, allowing them to believe that there was something wrong with my card. I’m a horrible person, I know. The worst part about it is that the RS President said she was “relieved that I’m normal.” Shoot. I almost had her fooled.
Now I feel like I need to march myself back into the athletics office and pay my $10, plus interest for cheating them out of their charges. The husband thinks I’m ridiculous because at least part of our $30,000 of tuition should cover pool fees. So, is it my responsibility to “stick it to the man,” or should I just pay the darn pool usage fee? I do want to be honest in all my dealings, so I think I’ll pay up. It sure is inconvenient to be completely honest sometimes, but I know that it will “pay off,” in the long run, right? Good Karma.
You would have been proud of me the other day. I ran five miles in a snowstorm along the country roads back home. I loved feeling the falling snowballs pelt against my face. I felt so hard core as I wiped the layers of slush off my sunglasses. I don't want to do that everyday, and especially not when I attempt my first half marathon next week, but it felt amazing. Yes, that’s right, I’m going to try my first “half.” That is, if I can find a babysitter. The husband is also doing the bike race that morning, so things will be a little tricky with the kiddos. Too bad they won’t let me take them in my stroller. I hope my knees hold up. It will be a great challenge.
How was singing the national anthem at an NBA bball game? We watched part of it, but didn’t see you in the crowd. The husband was rather jealous that they let you go to a basketball game while on your mission. Did you even recognize the Jazz team? There’ve been so many trades and injuries that I didn’t even know who was on the court, playing for Utah. And, I miss Jerry Slone on the side, yelling at the refs. Not that I really care all that much…I’d much rather be watching HGTV, unless of course you could be somewhere in the bball arena. Will you and the San Antonio missionaries be doing a spot on HGTV any time soon?
I have a final thought for you before I finish rambling. Today in Sunday school we were talking about the parable of the good Samaritan. I’m sure you’ve studied this a lot, and I might not have anything to offer, but as I thought about the man who lied on the side of the road, “half dead,” and those who passed him by, it was interesting to me that the difference between the two church-going, calling-holding men who passed him by and the Samaritan was compassion. He had compassion on the man—he didn’t know if he was really going to be able to help save him or not, but his compassion on him stopped him on his course. He didn’t assume that the man was already dead as others may have done. He just gave the man who had been beaten down everything that he had and promised the innkeeper he would repay whatever debt was owed as the man regained his strength. Not only do I have a lot to learn from the Samaritan about not assuming anything about the condition of another’s soul and what it means to really be compassionate. So often in life, I am the half-dead man and Christ is my Samaritan. I know that He knows when I have been beaten down. He always assumes the best of me, has compassion on me and has paid for my debts. I know that He lives.
Atrain is telling me that I’m done, and that it’s time to read books with him. And Jdog will be waking up soon. He looks a lot like our side of the family…they even said so at his immunizations this week with Dr. Grandpapa. Here is a message from Atrain:
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The X is for texas. Love you so much JD. Keep up the good work. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Thanks for all you’re doing.
Love,
MJ.
PS-your lady in waiting texted me this week…told me she’s been wearing the guitar necklace I bought her a lot. She’s so sweet. I sure like her.
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