Monday, December 22, 2008

"Welcome and wanted"

Is that a common phrase? I seem to be hearing it a lot in the past week. A few days ago, I was talking to some friends about how I've been feeling a little extra depressed lately because it is the holidays, which is a hard time of year to feel like your life has a gaping wound in it. When I left, one of my friends sent me a text that said, among other things, "You are always welcome and wanted here." The next day I was in the temple doing some initiatories, and the work was feeling especially significant to me because I was proxy for 8 women who were born in Boston in 1871. (I was born in Boston!) I felt, distinctly, that someone (or perhaps many) on the other side of the veil were saying, "You are always welcome and wanted here." Then, today, I heard it again. My best friend Lizzy was trying to convince me to make a last minute trip to Arizona to spend the holidays with her family since I have elected not to go to North Carolina with my parents. I just hate traveling at the holidays. Other people can travel, they can visit their families, and I will pick up their shifts and get overtime pay. It's not so bad. But Lizzy assured me that if I change my mind for New Years, I am always "welcome and wanted." So I just wonder: what's up with people using that phrase this week? Or do people use it all the time and I simply never notice because it has never held significance to me?--like in high school when I thought I had never heard a word until it appeared on my vocabulary list and then it seemed to pop up a dozen times in my favorite book. Funny how we make things invisible or important.

3 comments:

Bekah said...

I have heard the phrase before, although not very often. Perhaps its sudden appearance in your life is one of the Lord's tender mercies--letting you know just how welcome and wanted you are. And just so you know, you are always welcome and wanted here in Boise, although this Christmas, you might be a little lonely if you showed up. See you in your neck of the woods?

dj4aces said...

I too have heard the phrase before, but it's not been very often at all. However, it seems to be a pretty self-explanatory phrase -- you are, indeed, welcome and wanted. Cherish those friends, because they are too rare these days.

I can completely relate to having horrible holiday experiences, but these past couple of days, I've been searching for things to smile about. If I don't do it, no one will -- no matter how much people say they truly care, there are just some things they can't do.

God Jul, my friend! I look forward to reading more from you, and hope you keep smiling throughout the rest of this holiday season!

Katie said...

Hmmm I actually don't know if I've ever heard that particular phrase before.