I Will Return to You Somehow

I Will Return to You Somehow

It was September 30th, 2015, about 6 weeks after my diagnosis.  I had done 2 rounds of chemo at that point, and was still racked with fear at night with horrifying thoughts of my ominous diagnosis. Tomorrow was October 1st, a day I always celebrated at I count back the years of a pivotal point in my life, the start of my missionary service in Honduras.  It was the day I entered the Missionary Training Center, where I would spend 2 months learning Spanish skills, teaching skills , and humanitarian training skills.  My time there was full of spiritual experiences, joy, and laughter, and I always look back on it with fondness.  It had been 18 years!

It was late afternoon and time to get the mail.  I was surprised to see a package from my Uncle Greg and Aunt Nila Blackham.  I was even more surprised to see a Spanish hymn book, a himnario,  which looked just like one I used during my missionary service.

 I opened the book to find the following loving note from Aunt Nila on the inside cover:

I flipped through to the first page and found that it had been mine in the Missionary Training Center, I remembered receiving it, but didn't remember losing it before I went to Honduras.  Yet it had been returned to my Uncle Greg 18 years to the day I had received on September 21st,1997 at my missionary open house from my friend Carlos Simpson. Carlos had written me a note, testifying of the power of hymns to help bring people together and to feel of God's love..    

I agree with my Aunt Nila's assertion that having this relic from such a joyful time in my life returned to me in such a tumultuous one, was a tender mercy that could only come from my Heavenly Father. This connection to my past also proved to foreshadow special people from years before that have been returned to me. Carl has remarked that "relics and people are being returned to me."  In these 8 months since my diagnosis, I have connected with friends from elementary school, high school, college, post college single days, to my days as a new young mother from our time in San Diego and Salt Lake.  Special friends, and relatives, some of whom I had not seen in years have reached out with genuine love and concern have made special trips to come visit and reconnect. I have had many joyful reunions. We have simply picked up where we left off. I am reminded of my all-time favorite song by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, "Homeward Bound," which makes the promise, I'll Return to you somehow.  

Even though I have confidence that I will beat this cancer and that I will not be returning to my heavenly home anytime soon, this experience has given me glimpses of what heaven must be like, being able to associate with those who we truly love.