I Wonder If My Mom Felt Old When She Did This 29 Years Ago...

We walked into the store famous for outfitting missionaries with all their missionary needs and suddenly, I felt old. Maybe I'm just feeling my actual age. Surrounded by hundreds of 2-pant suits and sport coats, ties, shirts and expensive shoes, we watched as a salesman picked out several beautiful suits and had my son try them on. It's been so long since my son owned a suit, probably six or seven years. We bought him a tweed sport coat a few years ago. He's worn it every Sunday and never complained once.

The store has everything a young man would need, a young man about to depart on a 24-month assignment, a calling to live away from home and try to bring the message of God to whomever is ready to hear it. It's quite an amazing commitment, an 18-year old leaving home, family and friends, to give his time and talents for others.

Entering that store and watching him try on suits brought it all back for me. I did the same thing 29 years ago, and my mom was with me, and I wonder if she felt the same things I did.

Did she look at me differently as I stood before her in never-before worn clothing? Did she imagine the incredible friendships he'll make, or the humbling hardships that come with the opportunity? Was she proud seeing both the man I was as well as a glimpse of the man I would someday become? Did the whole experience make her feel a little old?

Unfortunately, my mom's no longer with us for me to ask...just another thing I'd love to talk to her about if I had the chance. Well, at least my son will know how I feel. And in 20+ years, maybe he'll feel the same way, too.

Remember That Time I Wrote About Baker California?

Maybe it was the fact we had driven over 1500 miles in six days. Maybe it was having seen San Francisco, L.A., Disneyland, and several California beaches in that same time period. Maybe it was the fact that I knew when driving from L.A. to Las Vegas can be--I'm not going to say boring because there is a lot of things to see--well, a lot of the same.

Whatever it was, I singled out Baker California and used it as the subject of one of my blog posts. You can access that post: HERE.

I had no way of knowing that in a few short weeks my son would receive his mission call for the LDS Church and his assignment would include the town of Baker California.

 

Now, there's a chance he will not be assigned to serve in Baker, or Barstow, or parts of Death Valley... But on the other hand, how cool is that? I mean, Death Valley! He may serve in the many highly populated cities included in the mission boundaries.

When I served decades ago my mission had cities and the country, urban and rural. I loved meeting people in different circumstances. Of course, that will happen anyway.

Baker, Barstow, Upland, Ontario, Chino, Victorville, Apple Valley, and Rancho Cucamonga. Get ready!