I Hear the Music

 

I Hear the Music

April 5, 2015

     Happy, Happy Birthday, our Dearest Kortney! Can I tell you a story? You have heard us talk of our good friends, Elder and Sister Garrett from AZ., right? Well, whenever we get together, Elder Garrett wants my elder and I to go a round of "Name That Tune".  The rules are: He whistles a tune and the first to name the Title of the song is The Champion for The Week. It MUST be the Title - not a line from the song. Now, this is a big deal to him and to us. It is a big deal to him since he just relearned to whistle on his mission. If you remember, they were in a horrible accident on their first mission and when he came out of his coma, he had to relearn everything. He was a whistler before the accident so "Name That Tune" is his game. It is my game because I would remiss if I did not tell you I am the Champion most times.  I was recently de-throned by Elder Seaman and due to illness and other mishaps we did not see Elder Garrett for two weeks. Your ol' papa was The Champion for two weeks. Friday night, I am proud to say, I won The Title back in the lobby of Olive Garden calling out "Old McDonald" first. I must say there were three other senior missionaries in the game with my elder and I........, I beat them all! Oh, I was happy!! 
     I know most of those simple tunes Elder Garrett whistles. I sang those songs to your mom and her sisters and to many children in schoolrooms in Show Low. I danced and pranced lots of times to those songs. You know I love music. I know you love music. You play the flute. You feel it. You love it. Isn't music truly the Language of the Gods?  Elder Wilford W. Anderson talked in the Saturday afternoon session of conference of the old Medicine Man who could teach the doctor to dance, but not to hear the music. The doctor had to hear that on his own. I remembered my life when I heard the music but I didn't take the time to celebrate and dance. Other times I wanted to dance, dance, dance! The times when I have been out of sorts and spiritually down, those sweet notes of the gospel may have sounded and I didn't hear them. His advice to me and all the members of the True Gospel was: Keep Practicing.
     So, Kort, I am going to keep listening. I am going to keep doing my best, with the Lord's help, to be a good mission secretary. I will shake hands, smile and laugh and feed, and do whatever else I am called to do to help these young missionaries have a successful mission. Transfers were this week. My elder and I feel like we "lost" some good friends. Those good-byes are hard. I will make more new friends. I will keep practicing.
     By the way, Sister Garrett celebrated to us that Elder Garrett just "relearned" to sing in the shower this week. She heard him and had to stop and listen. Was that really what she thought she heard? Along with whistling, he had been a Shower Singer. She shared that she had not known how much she had missed it all this time. Oh Kort, aren't we blessed? Isn't the Gospel Of Jesus Christ music to our ears? Sing! Dance! Play the Flute! Shout for Joy! If you will, so will I. My love to you,

my oldest granddaughter. 

All my love,
Sister Seaman

Sportsmanship

     My kids will tell you that I don't play games because I don't like to lose.  Losing at "Name that Tune" has been discouraging, demoralizing, and downright depressing.  Elder Garret and my wife like to rub it in.  Right there in the crowded lobby of Olive Garden, Sister Seaman is jumping up and down squealing with delight and exclaiming at the top of her lungs that she is the champion. And Elder Garret is announcing to all who would listen that there was a new reigning champion and that I was the loser.  I quit.  She must have cheated.  I think Elder Garret must have leaked the title somehow.  They did it in public no less.  I can't stand it.
     Sister Seaman just walked by and saw the title of my blog today and burst out laughing.  She said I finally admitted after 42 years that I was a bad sport. Wow.
     Anyway, so much for games and sportsmanship.  I think I know where I got it from.  My little  brother, the Dentist, used to beat my pants off of every game we ever played too.  I never wanted to play him anymore either.  He would play my our Grandfather, John L Davis, in checkers and Chinese checkers for hours.  My Grandpa would be in tears, literally, (from amazement and frustration) because my brother could beat him too, and he couldn't figure it out.  He was 6, Grandpa was 70.  Now you know. Some emotional scars stay with us. Some of us don't like to lose.
     Some of my grandkids seemed to have inherited that trait somehow.  But they are so much better than I ever was.  Maybe they don't like to lose but they are gracious when they do.  I do like a good-sport.  I like to see someone give his/her all to whatever they are doing, but if they don't win they are always gracious and humble about it.    Maybe the thing that I like to see most of all ,in my self and all others, is that "don't ever give up" attitude.  Every time you fall (lose), you get up (you try again.)  I love to see it in my kids and grandkids.  With that kind of attitude, you will not fail.  We will all win in the end.  And like Sister Seaman, we will be jumping up and down and squealing at the top of ours lungs that we all made it.  I love you all with all my heart.  Happiest of Birthdays, dear Kortney.

Sincerely,
Elder Seaman

We found these on our truck this week.



These are the Mission Assistants. The one in the middle went home this
week.  He will be sorely missed.  Elder Stevens is from Canada.
 

    
    
    
    
    
    



Sister Seaman says no to any set-ups.  He is from Canada.