Walking Dead--

Yesterday was Halloween; I saw a bunch of kids dressed up like Zombies. I guess a Zombie is a person that is dead but still walks around with their hands held out trying to kill other people – the walking dead. Why they are trying to kill everyone is beyond me, maybe they’re just mad they’re dead so they want to take it out on everyone else. I don’t know how someone came up with this concept – believers I'm sure would say because it’s true. I think there is a lot of people that walk around like Zombies: emotionally their dead to the world and the things that would bring them happiness. I think all of us fall into this category once in a while.

This week our son goes on an LDS mission. This is a two-year period that young men in our church are asked to go to another part of the country or world to serve, teach and support the growth of the church in that area. Missions are encouraged, but are not required of all young men when they turn nineteen year of age. This is a huge sacrifice and needs to be the young man’s decision otherwise it could be a waist of time. Our son has been called to Argentina, which as far as I know is in a different world. They gave him plenty of time to prepare, but the two or so weeks before he leaves have been terrible - it feels like a funeral. When my father died it was a great blessing – he had been in poor health for many years. I know that where he is now is a far better place. Even after fifteen years I still miss him tremendously. I would love to have another opportunity to sit down and talk to him or do something fun together. I believe we will be together at some point; we will embrace, laugh and want to know everything that has happened since the last time we saw each other - it will be a wonderful reunion. I’m sure he will ask about his grandchildren and how I have treated my wife and if I brought any shame to the family name.

Most of these things are the same thing that will happen with my son’s mission. The mission will be a great blessing to him; his spiritual strength will increase tremendously, why wouldn’t it - he studies, prays and teaches from the scriptures on a daily basis. I think a mission is the greatest training tool that anyone this age could do in order to prepare for life, marriage and providing for a family. What a great place to learn how to work, study and relate to people. It‘s hard especially for those that have to learn a new and difficult language. Like my father - at this part in my son’s life he will be in a better place. This will be one of the only times in his life that he will spend every waking moment looking outward and seeing what he can do to help others more than himself. I will miss him tremendously! Unlike death we will be able to talk to him twice a year – Mothers Day and Christmas. We will be able to e-mail once a week, because he will be so busy we will want to know more than he will have time to tell us. We won’t be able to do anything together but we will have a great reunion in a couple of years. I’m sure at that time we will embrace, laugh and want to know everything that has happened since we were together. I may ask him if he has done anything to disgrace the family name – even though I already know the answer. We have started to feel like Zombie emotionally in anticipation of the void that will overcome us when he’s gone.

My wife isn’t an emotional person and she has started to feel the pain. In reality it’s actually should be a celebration – he hasn’t died nor is he in prison and acting like an idiot doing something that would bring shame to the family. Most people agree that the hardest part is dropping them off. I went on a mission a long time ago so I think I’m more excited about him going because of this experience that will change his life forever. But I’m the crier in the family and I’m sure it will be hard. But unlike death our time apart will be short and he’ll come back a better person than when he left. I’m sure like a funeral it’s harder for those left behind than those that have started the new journey.