Edema Rue

It's a bittersweet sort of night. There are lots of reasons, but I'll share one of them here.

So...okay back up. The area I live in is very much an older place. There are lots of old houses, and well...people who've been living in them for three times as long as I've been alive. (Yes, we all have preassigned assignments for funerals) (joking aside though...it's sad)

Anyway, I'm friends with a lot of older couples and people. 

Back up again. To those who aren't a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you've probably heard at least something about missions and missionaries. It's pretty well known that most 19 year old boys in our church go on missions, and a lot of girls too. But what isn't as well known is that we also have senior missionaries. Wonderful older couples who, instead of enjoying a peaceful retirement, choose to leave their homes and serve the Lord in a foreign country, sometimes learning new languages too.

Back up again. When I was maybe...uh...5? When I was younger, my grandparents went on one. I didn't notice it very much, since they live pretty far away from me, so I really only see them a few times a year. When I was a little older, they did another one.

Then 2 years ago, a couple in my ward went. But it wasn't just people I vaguely knew, it was people I honestly feel closer to than my actual grandparents. I grew up fishing in their pond, their granddaughter is still one of my best friends, and I've spent so many hours at their house. They're so kind and loving, and suddenly they were gone for an entire year. 

And tonight...

Well, it feels like I'm losing a pair of grandparents for the 4th time. I know they'll be back, and it isn't like they're dying. But...wow. They're both retired English professors, and we can just talk for hours about whatever. They have horses that I take care of whenever they go out of town. I didn't realize how much I relied on them until we went over there tonight and talked for about 2 1/2 hours and...well, they fly out tomorrow. 

Anyway, it's a little melancholy and a little beautiful and a lot of other things, too.

ALSO monstrous storytelling SU aside, I'm trying to memorize Heartbreak Hotel because we start choreo for it on Tuesday, and half the lyrics are basically saying I'm so lonely I could die...and it's so overdramatic because, y'know, it's Elvis, but scudding stars and slugs above it's hitting me  

Ahhhh yeah life is mostly good. How are you lovely people?

One family.