Letting Go - Day 157

Dear Mamas journal

Well, it's been 157 days since the boys have been gone. I can clearly remember writing the first leting go journal entry and I would love to say that I am healed!! but I can't ;-) I have figured that letting go is actually going to take as long as I thought and more......

Some of the things that have been 'let go':

1. Anxiousness that something terrible is going to happen.
2. The Deep bawling cry has gone
3. The Need to count down.
4. Painful Grief and
5. Sense of loss.

The things that have been added unto me:

Where once was anxiousness, now stands peace and calmness. The kind of peace I have is hard to describe. It's a feeling that envelopes me and I am without fear that something is going to happen to my sons. I am grateful for the peace that resides in my life. 

 

Where once I was anxious and worried that the boys would get sick and I wasn't there to care for them has dissipated. in fact I remain calm. For example, both boys have both been struck by a mosquito borne disease that is hitting the Carribean and yet I am calm. My son has just written a letter home telling me that he lives next to where gangsters hang out and a church where the leader casts out devils at night time - and still this calmness is with me. Maybe I am in denial but I am grateful for it!

 

The gut-wrenching crying sessions have now been reduced to what I call "sprinkles" or little "leaks" .... I can't control them - my eyes just sprinkle and leak all the time! Having said that I have had big cries but so would you if you were looking at my beautiful baby boys happy and serving the Lord ;-) I don't mind sprinkling and little leaks because it reminds me that I am a missionary mama - and it is not easy but I am doing it ;-)

 

What has not gone away is the need to count. I no longer wait until the sun goes up before I can cross out another day (like I used to do!) .... instead after 157 days, I now have the control and can wait the whole seven days before crossing off a week and I have trained myself not to lament because I have so much more to go - but just tick or stick (I use stickers) away quietly, without fanfare and carry on. I can say watching the numbers come down are healing though..... that I cannot deny ;-)

 

In the place of painful grief I have prayer and what a revelation this has been.... I have prayed all of my life but I have found my prayers have changed. They are more meaningful and heartfelt. I feel like I am having an adult conversation with a loving Heavenly Father who is listening patiently ready to give me advice on what I need to do. More than once, I have been specific and detailed and what I asked for - technology to be clear so that communication between son and his parents is seamless in an area known for powercuts and poor technology - and it has been granted.

I have found prayer has united Mr and I. I find myself listening to a missionary father praying for his sons and I am touched by his sensitivity to our sons' service.

I also know that my sons are also praying which helps me to realise that all these reverent conversations are connecting my little family together while we are so far apart - see - there they goes - my eyes are sprinkling again ;-) I am grateful for prayer - and so happy to have a renewed my testimony in the power of prayer.

 

My sense of loss has not gone. The boys are still everything I have in this world - and they are not here with me. My life is empty without them and I am half of a partnership that sit at the top of a great big EMPTY nest ;-) but this deep sense of loss has been filled. I have recently been called to work in the temple. This amazing calling has brought me closer to my children than any single thing I have done before. It focusses me every week and I am grateful for yet another connection to my sons. The words that are spoken in the temple are some of the most beautiful that I have ever heard, and to learn those has been a privilege.... As I serve week after week my emptiness is being filled - with love that I have not experienced before and I am more grateful today than I was yesterday.

 

For me, on day 157, I have to say that the greatest healer for me have been my missionary boys!! They are my inspiration. Their positive attitudes, their healing words and love extended to their mother who they know struggles without them has been balm to my motherly wounds. Their strengthening testimonies have been beautiful to read and I am becoming grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary mama to the point where I can almost say it without wincing ;-)

 

This journey is not travelled alone and I continue to be grateful for the support of thousands of other missionary mommas through facebook and hundreds of others in my Missionary Mamas and Missionary Moms email groups... I would hate to think what my life would be like without these!!

 

So Day 157 is coming to a close - and life isn't too bad. The house is quiet. We haven't started Spanish lessons yet or the diet either for that matter - but it's all coming along....

 

Here's to another 43 -then it's my Second Hundred Party - WOOHOOO!!!

 

Mxo

 

101 Survival Tips for Missionary Mamas

Last week, a friend of mine, and a fellow missionary mama herself (for a 2nd time ;-)) handed me a book called 101 Surivial Tips for Missionary Moms by Mary Yoachum and illustrated by Cheri Cox Johnson. My friend handed it to me and said "You are already doing them". This was so comforting to hear - because 101 is a pretty big number :-) and I am the kind of person who needs to do all 101 ;-) 

Anyway, I came home that day and devoured every page and in my head I was quietly ticking off things that I was already doing - and grateful that I have had groups like Missionary Mommas, and Missionary Mamas, Dominican Republic Missionary Moms, and my Dominican Republic MM Email group who have helped me. If I didn't - this book would have been devastatingly new to me!

What I liked is that first of all the author dedicated this book to her three sons who had served or about to serve - so it was great that it was written by someone who "knew" what it was like to be a missionary mama. Secondly, since its publication, a lot of support systems are provided via facebook, email and Skype which I am sure would have been in the top 101 had we been using them a couple of decades ago.... Here are my top five (5):

TIP ONE: Say "Cheese"

Yoachum suggests that taking a variety of pictures of our missionaries before and after they leave and having them put around the house - brings us closer to them. I have seen pre-missionary shots that have been taken professionally and they are stunning - and something I wanted to do but ran out of time (and to be honest funds!)  to do this. As a result many of the photos that I have either have me or my husband missing because we would be taking he photo... So it something I wish I had done - and a lesson learnt! Now my boys have been out 5 months, I prefer to see their most recent photos dotted around the house - I feel closer to them by seeing their beautiful faces! This is one of my favourites because it was taken a few hours before he wrote home on his last PDay - just hours separated this photo and me!! It made my day!

TIP TWO: Priesthood Power

Yoachum encourages people to get a blessing after your missionary has left. I believe in the power of the priesthood and we took care of this before the boys left. The morning  the boys flew out, my husband (and Bishop) gave each son a father's blessing which were both individual and specific to that son. Our missionary sons then each their parents a missionary blessing. It was beautiful - and never a prouder mother was I in that moment.  All I can remember of mine was that my son blessed me that I would always know that I am loved and supported - and he said it two times - so in that moment I knew I was going to be okay....... eventually ;-)

TIP THREE: Gift Wrap

I have blogged about this - but thought it is still a great idea. I send packages to the boys at least once a fortnight if not weekly. It is costing an arm and a leg - but love to hear them talking about things that they have received, especially our letters, cards and other resources. Yoachum suggests that we decorate the outside of the envelops and packages, use stickers, notes, quotes, etc to brighten up their day. I have done this and loved it.... I also take a photo of Mr and I - and add that in so it is the first thing that the boys see. You can imagine how touched I was to see these same photos in prominent positions on their study desks some months later. I hope by seeing us they are strengthened and can feel the love we have for them in our faces. I also make cards with photos with family and friends on them - this last card had some friends holding notes to the boys - and for one son, I got a photo taken with his close friends and added those - anything to feel of our love and support for them.

 

TIP FOUR: Language Lesson

A tip that I am going to work on is learning Spanish. The boys are getting better at it every week - and the more they get better - the less Mr and I have a chance to speak with them.... so this is definitely a MUST for me!! A great tip. In the meantime, I am getting church magazines in Spanish sent to the boys while they are serving. I've sent the last conference talks to them in English, and marked a number of them with my thoughts from talks that I have taught from, spoken on, and listened to others speak and teach with. I have done this to give my sons a break from their language studies... especially as they didn't have a command of Spanish when during the last Conference.....but the rest will be in Spanish..... Added to this tip, Yoachum also suggests asking the boys to write a message in Spanish and when I got it - try and figure it out (without google translate) - and get them to reply - wish me luck :-)

 

TIP FIVE:  Tickle his funny bone

I am a wannabe amateur comedian, so my sons have been raised by a crazy person who finds humour in many things - so when I see something funny/quirky I send it to the boys. I was a bit scared to do this as first because I didn't to be the reason my sons were distracted - so I sent them something little  to try and make them smile. They commented on those things and one son has asked me to keep sending them... and it again it keeps us connected somehow... So I keep my eye open for funny PG rated pictures or stories - and they are more difficult that you would think to find or not that easy to come by - so I just end up telling them my own stories. Added to this, in the questions I send for them to answer on their PDay, I always ask them every week is to share with me a funny experience. I have loved hearing their funny experiences  - and they have, and I can tell you, some of their little stories have made this old lady laugh out loud ;-)

 

Well, that's five tips, and plenty more where those come from - but like my friend said - you are probably doing a lot of them - so keep going. Keep up your efforts. I have heard that missionaries get letters all the time in their first 6 months and then they don't get much, if any.....so let's keep it up missionary mams... I know that any mail will light up the world of that missionary for a time....

 

Well, I better get going - sending a package tomorrow and need some beauty sleep to get a great 'selfie' to add to his package.

 

What survival tips do you have?

 

Mxo