I just got back here to Penang after a 2 week visit to Utah. My primary travel purpose was to see my girls Jordan and Malaina who are BYU students there. Also, Malaina is in the BYU Guitar Ensemble and she had a performance. WOW!! We had a wonderful visit. I was able to spend every day with Jordan, and only missed seeing Malaina 3 or 4 days of the entire trip. All and all, as a mother who was starved for the company of her kids, I was emotionally fed. They are so independant and well off. I really don't have anything to worry about except the normal Mom worries like, safety, nutrition, boys etc.. Heavenly Father has blessed our family in ways we cannot comprehend. I also enjoyed the peak bloom time. Spring was busting out all over. I saw countless lilacs, tulips and daffodils. And in typical Utah fashion it snowed several inches at my parents house. I scraped off snow for the first time in years!While I was there I came to one very important conclusion. I hope I can put it in words here.
My good friend Sherri offered to organize a lunch date for me and a few friends from my neighborhood/Ward church group who weren't working etc. She had a list of about ten invitees. Many of them couldn't attend and I was sad not to see them, but I know they love me. There...that sums it up. They love me. They will continue to love me even through my faults , nasty temper, impatience and 
sometimes unlikeable behavior. I don't have to pretend to be something I'm not around them. We can have disagreements, (many of us have) get over it ,carry on and just love each other. My friends who were able to meet for lunch were happy to see me, happy to hear about some of my adventures and once those stories were out of the way it was just so fun to talk about school issues, family issues, proms, making ends meet, getting ready for a new baby, dealing with husbands and kids etc. There was absolutely no awkwardness around them. I have been gone along time, but I felt like I hadn't been gone at all. I don't have to worry if they are going to judge me because I'm fat, or my clothes aren't trendy, or if they get offended will they dump me as their friend or who's husband has the most important job. They just included me. There is an old saying..."you can never go home again." Well I can promise you that these women have proven that saying WRONG. I did go home, I will go home, and we will pick where we left off. I miss them so much and I love them dearly. All of them.
