Flashback Friday is back, my friends. My dearest Michael and I bought a new computer and it took the computer genius in the family to get it to talk to an older scanner. Now that the poor man has shown me twice how to do it and sent me detailed instructions via email, I am back in the business of reminiscing on Fridays.
The above photo was taken at Christmastime on my mission (hence the tree and name tags, respectively). It's me and my great companion, Melodie (not that I called her that back then, of course). Melodie and I were only companions for one month, but it was a fabulous one. I had been really nervous about spending Christmas away from my family (we are big Christmas people) but it actually turned out to be quite special.
Melodie and I did our best to have a festive time of it while going about our usual work. We bought ourselves the biggest, best Christmas tree any of the missionaries had seen--and had it delivered. That, in and of itself, is a funny memory. We totally saw a man on a street car with an awesome tree (most looked like Charlie Brown's) and chased him down. He thought we wanted to know how much it cost. We didn't care about cost (we were "rich Americans" after all), we just wanted to know where he got it. We ended up arranging with him to meet on our street corner the next day at lunch time; he'd bring a tree and we'd bring the lei (Romanian currency). Our elders thought we were crazy...until they saw our awesome tree! We still wonder where that tree came from and are half convinced that the man stole it from some government property.
Melodie and I decided to host a "Sisters Christmas Party" one P-day for all the sisters in the mission. We had so much fun as we prepared for the party by baking sugar cookies to decorate and making paper ornaments for our stunning fir specimen. We kept laughing and telling each other (and the elders in our district) how we were going to be "the most popular sisters in the mission!" Our party was a great success and well attended by sisters from all over Bucharest--including our senior sister and the Mission President's wife. Anybody who was anybody was there...hee hee.
So, earlier this afternoon I had a little chat with my dear friend, Melodie. She is moving to Germany on Monday and I won't see her for another year or so. But let me tell you how I love that girl. Together we braved our first Christmas in a strange land, dated and got engaged to men we claimed we'd never marry, were roommates, planned said weddings (one day apart!) and navigated motherhood. OK, we're still doing that last one together...and my life is richer for it.
8 comments:
What a great flashback -- you brought me right back with you! I loved being your companion, and have loved every minute of being your friend. We have so many fun memories together, and I feel so blessed by your love and support. You are such a great example to me in so many ways, and I am proud to be your friend! We'll see each other again soon, and in the meantime, follow me to Germany via cyberspace! Te iubesc!
She sounds like a great friend. I love the tree story. Oh, what a good tree can do.
What a wonderful memory, thanks for sharing.
I love that memory! What a great experience - I would've LOVED to have been one of your companions :)
Friends like that are only come around once in a life time!
Neat pic and story!! How wonderful that you guys have been able to stay so connected, that really is wonderful!!
That post made me wish I had gone on a mission. You describe your life back then so clearly and well. I was always afraid of it before, but now it seems like something that would suit me very well--a grand adventure, as it were. What a resourceful missionaress you were! Such can-do-spirit.
What a wonderful thing that you've turned your month into a lifetime friendship.
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