A Fine Weekend for the Elderly

A Fine Weekend for the Elderly

September 13, 2015

     My phone rang in the office this past Friday afternoon. It was our Kortney and she was on speaker phone with her Cody. I got my elder and we stepped outside to hear the news that they were now officially engaged to be married the end of December. What glorious news! But, how can that be?? We just went through a wedding for her mom and dad, what,... 20 something years ago....A granddaughter old enough to marry? Where did the time go?
     Going home after work, we passed a group with flags flying and posters up, on a freeway overpass, reminding all of Kansas City to Never Forget what happened to our country 14 years ago that very day. That tragic event seems to have occurred just yesterday. It is stamped in my mind. I know exactly what our little family was doing that morning - getting ready for school while their dad was fixing us all breakfast. He turned on the news and called us all together to watch as it seemed the whole world was in commotion. Will I ever forget? No, I won't.
     Saturday morning we took a sister from our ward to do baptisms for the dead so she could see how it is done. We walked the grounds with her. The flowers are beautiful. I know that the FM missionaries are going there this week to pull them all up to plant 55,000 bulbs. It was absolutely just yesterday when they were out there planting spring flowers. Where did the time go?
     From the temple, my elder and I went to a baptism in our ward. The Ward mission leader was grateful we were all attending.  He was especially grateful that the elderly missionaries from the ward could attend that day. I kind of looked around. Now, Elder and Sister Fullmer were there. They work in the Visitor Center and they are just a few years older than us. We were sitting by them. The ward mission leader was smiling and nodding at our row. It was true.  We were the elderly missionaries in attendance. It was a wonderful service. Afterwards, my elder and I helped each other hobble out to the truck and we drove slowly home.
     As you can see, it was a fine weekend for the elderly.

Oh, I love you all!
Grams....Sister Seaman

Lock Yourself Out...(get it?)

     Its Friday night, about 9:30, my mission phone goes off.  I am already in bed and reading. I try not to hear it, but it is getting to me.  It can only be trouble.  A shooting, a break-in, a faucet left on.
     A week or so ago, I was summoned to one of the houses where eight of our visitor center sister missionaries are living.  The back door had been jacked.  The door jamb was split in two and the door was split around the door knob and the dead bolt.  Somebody wanted in but I don't think they made it.  The door was hung up on one of the latches and couldn't be pushed in.  I replaced the door and the jamb.  The funny thing about this incident is that the upper half of the door was glass and there was a window not 12" from the door.  If you really wanted in, just break the glass and unlock the door. Duh!  But it has spooked the sisters and we'll probably end up having to move them.
     Anyway, I can't stand it anymore, I answer the phone.  It is two sister missionaries.  They have just moved into a new apartment the day before and they have locked themselves out of their apartment.  Keys are inside.  They are in the garage because they had the garage door opener.  "Elder Seaman can you help us?" they cry.  "We are so sorry."  "Can you call the landlord for key?"  The landlord is in southwest Missouri for the weekend.  He doesn't know how to get them in.  He is sympathetic and all but he can't do anything.  He says, "you'll have to call a locksmith or have them stay somewhere else until I get home."  I say "Ok."
     I am becoming a break-in artist, I mean locksmith.  I stop by the Mission Office and get my tools and head off to the apartment with Sister Seaman in tow.  I take the door-stop trim off and stick a screwdriver through the open space and easily push back the bolt and open the door.  The sisters are thankful.  They claimed they had determined to spend the night on the garage floor with only some sheets for bedding.  That would not have been a good night.
     It is transfer week.  25 newbies coming in and only 11 going home.  It will be a busy week, but we will get to see many of our now good friends, some of which are going home.  It will be sad and happy.
     Life goes on.  A good man once told me, when he thought I was too full of myself, "there will always be somebody right behind you, ready to take your  place, who is better than you are.  And worse than you are." Just do the best you can. And don't knock, I mean lock, yourselves out. Love you all.

Sincerely,
Elder Seaman