My son

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning then you may remember this post about being a mother.  You may also remember the family picture from that post includes a son, one you haven't heard me mention before.  That's because he has been away.  His name is Enoch and he's been serving a full-time proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for almost two years now.  He'll be coming home soon and our whole family can hardly wait to see him.

I watched this Christmas music video about service and sons and homecomings, and I thought about my own son and kept getting choked up.  I was remembering when he was about to leave.  Our family had never been parted like this before.  He was nineteen and about to leave us for two years and I had a pain in my heart, a real physical pain. As the day of his departure drew nearer, I would stop him in passing and hug him, and he would smile and say, "Don't be sad Mom." Scott and I decided that Scott would be the one to take him to Utah to the Missionary Training Center, and that I would say goodbye to him here in Hawaii.  I couldn't bear prolonging the goodbye and so I chose to stay, to say goodbye sooner rather than later.  At the airport he said goodbye to everyone first, and then we found ourselves looking at each other for a moment and then we fell into each others' arms and I cried like a baby.  I drove away from the airport in the rain, with tears streaming down my face.

Two weeks before they left, Scott placed his hands on my head and gave me a priesthood blessing.  The pain in my heart had become almost unbearable, but after the blessing it went away and I've never had it back since.  Saying goodbye was hard and I've missed him, but the last (almost) two years have been doable, bearable, even peaceful, made more so because I believe in what he's doing- teaching others about Jesus Christ.  Now I have this excited feeling in my breast, and it's growing, like Christmas will be coming twice this year. 

Lending my son to others, for the love of others, has taught me, in my own small way, to love God more than ever. I thank Him for giving His Son, Jesus Christ, to us, to be our Savior.  I celebrate His birth, I truly rejoice in it.  I want to tell everyone about Him, and to reach out to others in love as He did and does. This Christmas, may God's love fill our heart's with joy, and may we share it with others through our acts of kindness.

Here's a short video with scenes from Christ's birth and life:   

Merry Christmas everyone! Peace be with you.