Recess

I drove past an elementary school today while the kids were out at recess. And I realized how much I miss recess - not so much the recesses of my elementary school days, but those of a couple months ago when I would play tag with my little second graders. I miss those kids. A LOT. I miss their jokes and teasing and questions and games and love. And I feel a little melancholy thinking that I'll probably never see those little kids again, and after a few weeks or months - or perhaps on the day I left - they will have forgotten "Mrs. Nay" and the time we spent together. But those few brief months that our lives intersected were wonderful, and definitely changed me for the better.

There's a quote I love from the current LDS church instruction manual that reads, "We feel that our happiness will not be complete in the kingdom of heaven unless we enjoy the companionship of our families and those of our friends and associates with whom we have become acquainted and in whose interest we give so much of our time on earth." Amen to that! That statement carries an added measure of poignancy for me right now, as I'm getting ready to leave on a mission and say goodbye to those I love - some for only 18 months, and some, because of diverging life paths, until the other side of the veil. It's comforting to know that, although put on hold, these relationships are nowhere near over. I can't imagine heaven without my family and friends - relationships are the most beautiful part of life, and heaven is only heaven if we can there continue those associations we enjoyed here.

So someday I'll see those little second graders again, although we'll all be grown up by then. And I don't know if there are playgrounds in heaven, but if there are, I think we'll be up for a good game of tag at recess. You're all welcome to join in.