This morning on my way to class I was listening to an old Kenny Rogers song. Immediately my thoughts turned to my grandparents. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was just something I could picture them listening to together. My grandparents are currently serving a mission in Brisbane, Australia and have been gone for about a year now. When they first left they sent us their weekly journal so that we would know what was going on over there. Those first couple of weeks phone lines were down due to all of the flooding and cyclones they were experiencing at the time, so it was a comfort for us to read that journal and know that they were ok.
I’ve always known that my grandparents loved each other, but it wasn’t until I read those journal entries that I really saw how much they really cared for each other. The way my grandfather talked about his sweet little wife touched me in a way I never expected. It wasn’t until they were clear on the other side of the world that I realized just how much they loved and depended on each other. It was then and there that I decided that was what I wanted.
At times I wonder if I’ve lost the chance to have a love like that, the kind that truly stands the test of time. As a single parent you often feel like you have missed out on those opportunities. The person who you thought you would grow old with is no longer there. You wonder if you will ever have that again. It’s hard to be patient when you want something that badly, but it will come when the time is right. The important thing is that you don’t let yourself settle for less than a love like that. You deserve it and so do your children.