Missions and substance

My mission changed my life forever. I spent 20 months, completely absorbed in substance, not fluff. Some missionaries come home and shake that change off rather quickly. For whatever reason, I have changed for good. "fluff" makes life fun and enjoyable, but it isn't my drive, or reason for being... Consequently, I seek that in others. Those who are like-minded will find that in me, and not be repelled by a less flashy way of being. Some forget that real fulfillment isn't found in revolving our life around our "to-do" list of slightly inconsequential but urgent tasks, but around our "to-be" list. That is substance.

When you are comfortable, you are not progressing

growth

I find myself in the rut of my own querks often, trying to learn from them, and often repeating them. We all are like we are for a reason. Live and learn, learn and grow. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. It seems like you haven't traveled far, but then the years go by and you realize 2 is greater than 1, and you have indeed traveled far.

Some people are not deep, and I have to learn to just be ok with that

Relationships are like the ocean

School kids can unfortunately be brutal on each other some times. And I don't know if it's just me or not, but it seems like this behavior is happening at even younger ages now days. My 6 year old has had to learn some life lessons this year. His teacher is not a fan of "tattling." Really, I don't think anyone is. As a result, it seems as though there are some unresolved conflicts floating around his little 1st grade classroom. There seems to be an unusual amount of children who are playing the game of, "You are not my friend anymore," or "I'm going to get a new best friend," or "you aren't going to be invited to my birthday party." My son hasn't typically been an emotional boy, but these threats of cutting all ties has been a challenge.
I told him the other day that friends are like the ocean waves. They are so much fun, but the waves come and then they go, and then they come and then they go. That friends would always most likely be a little bit like that. I got this analogy from the book A Gift of the Sea. I extended the analogy a bit, and said that family is like the beach, that's where you go to warm up, and it is always there for you. For the first time, I think my son felt a little peace about the issue.
This analogy has also been helpful for myself. I am a big believer in Eternal Marriage, and Eternal Families. I also aspire to make my friendships that I love eternal. However, not all people feel that way. There is great wisdom in allowing room and freedom in those friendships. When freedom is allowed, just like the waves, those friendships at some point in time, come back, even if for a moment.