My boy…my other boy, you know the one with a tiny bit more hair than the bald kid—-the far, far away one?
Well, I got to speak to him today. Christmas and Mother’s Day are the four days in two years that we get to actually talk to our missionary boy on the phone. After 25 minutes of trying to make the calling card work and the crowded, Mother’s Day phone lines work, and the crazy land line work–we finally got through.
It was so wonderful to hear his voice. I spoke to him first, because I’m the mom–then everyone else had a turn. As much as I loved talking to him personally, it was easier to relax and enjoy the call by just putting him on speaker phone and listening to everyone else talk to him. Every time it was passed to me, I had to fight–really fight the urge to yell, “What are you doing on the other side of the world?!!”
The good news is that he is well and safe and happy, and while he is still my boy, he says he wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else in the world right now. We talked to him for about an hour until we realized that with it being 9 hours ahead for him–it was well past his bedtime.
He asked if he could say a prayer in Lithuanian for us. It was incredible to hear him speaking so confidently in a language I have never heard. I tried to be brave when he needed to say, “good-bye,” but it was hard.
I console myself by remembering that in less than one month, he will have been gone a year. He is learning and growing and serving and becoming a very wonderful young man. I am so proud of him…but I miss him so much.
No matter how old my children get, I suppose I will never stop counting them, over and over whenever we go somewhere together. It’s a mama bear instinct to make sure they are all here…safe. “One, two, three, four, five….one, two, three, four, five…one, two, three, four…dang it.”
This is good. This is right.
This is tough stuff for the wuss mom of the year.
I’m working on it–and it is getting better.
Kind comments will be gratefully accepted and may even give you 25 Celestial points…
you never know.
Ain’t he cute?
Loved! this post. Especially the part about counting the “chicks.” I’m the oldest of 7 children, and I still count for my mom, whenever I come home (and for my aunt, and in nursery, and when I babysit.) This summer my mom will have two leaving on missions… one, two, three, four, five…
It made me cry.
How great to be able to talk to him. I get teary just thinking about it. My kids still have many many years before they could go that far from me and it still makes me sad.
He is so stinkin cute but eh hem…. excuse me there is another stinkin cute one out there too. Except I’m not going to rub it in too much that I see him in EXACTLY 28 days!!! Our phone call was extremely delightful and the Coop man sounded so happy and good too. These missionary boys sure make a mama smile big eh?
I’m converting to Catholicism in approximately 17 years.
Ohhh Dane!!! 🙂 It was fun talking to him!!! I wish the babies could’ve “talked” but it’s probably good we didn’t try too hard and hang up on him accidently! 😉
April… we’ll ALL have a hard time when Mr Noodle leaves!!! We could always just move… like Mom wants to with the other guy! 😉
April I think you would look good in black and white… but I don’t know if they will let you be a nun if you’re married and have kids 😉 Beckham will be a great missionary… but you still have plenty of time.
I can just imagine how you felt being able to talk to him. I’m getting choked up just thinking about it. My nephew (Eric’s oldest son) is leaving for his mission on 6/3. This will be my parents first grandson to go. And another nephew (Andrea’s oldest son) will be going at the end of summer. My Brandon now regrets that he never went. But he is now too old.
Do I get my celestial points now? I can use all I can get.