She left today. I took a picture of her but can't find my camera. I went to meet her at 5 in the morning like a good sister. I gave her a long tight hug. I told her to be good and work hard. Then I got back in my car and cried all the way home.
Yes, out of sadness. Happiness? That too. I'm really going to miss her... miss taking a break from work and walking 300 feet to the cafeteria to have lunch with her... miss her dropping by my classroom or desk to teach me some new Russian word that I would immediately forget... miss smuggling her in contraband items and not feeling remotely bad about it... miss her asking me for advice... miss asking her for advice... miss it even when she would only speak to me in Russian and draw pictures to translate. It was a completely unique experience having her at the MTC with me. And I will miss it.
However...
I know what she's in for. Now I don't know exactly what experiences she'll have and I know they'll be completely different from my experiences as a missionary... but I know how much my mission shaped and defined me. It made me who I am today. It taught me most of what I know about myself and my Father. It's something I've always wanted for her. So as I parked my car at my apartment at 5:19 in the morning and laid my head on my steering wheel and cried, I cried mostly because...
I.
Could.
Not.
Be.
More.
Excited.
My mission has meant everything to me and makes up a large portion of who I am today. It'll be nice to have a sister than can understand that in a way all her own.
So, she's gone. And I'm sad. But I cannot wait to hear about her challenges and successes, her trials and triumphs, her refiner's fire and her growth and maturity. I'm happy.
Look out Ukraine. Here she comes!
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