January 3, 2017
Yesterday I got a beautiful letter from my missionary daughter Sister Kailee Hogge. She had an incredible week and saw an amazing young man named Thomas become a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was probably one of the best days of her life. She will never forget this experience and I believe that Thomas and Kailee will be friends forever.
I have realized that when one life is saved another person sacrifices. It has been an incredible sacrifice to send my daughter on a mission. I miss her laugh, her smile, her long baths in the tub and her incredible way of just being quietly still in my life. She is my daughter, my dearest friend, my confidant, my side kick and the person in this life who probably acts and looks the most like me. I miss her so much that somedays I can barely breath.
However; she is healthy, happy, glowing on the inside and out and truly loving her mission. This choice she made to go was her choice, not mine. She wanted to do this and I have supported her 100%. If I would of choose, I would probably not of wanted her to do this. The natural man inside of me wanted her home. I wanted to be able to hold her, hug her, see her beautiful smile and be able to just pick up the phone and call her whenerver I missed her. The last time I saw her she clung to me like a rag doll and her tears were REAL. The day I told her goodbye was one of the hardest days of my life.
It has been almost 5 months since she has been gone. Each letter is tender, each email is precious and each time I get a text from a member in North Carolina my heart grows 3 sizes. I believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and my love for her has increased 3 fold since she has been gone.
I have realized that every day someone loses a loved one, a friend, a sister, a brother, a spouse, a child. A heart is broken and the pain is incredibly real.
One person can die and donate their organ to save a life. One life is taken, another one saved. Each day one person sacrifices their time, their talents and all they have to help another human being. Whenever someone gains a great reward, someone has sacrificed something for that reward. Life is a sacrifice. Each time we give up a parking space, our last pork chop or the last doll on the shelf, someone is blessed.
The Savior of the world sacrificed his life so that we could have eternal life. His life was perfect, selfless and he had no sin. His sacrifice makes our sacrifices seem insignificant. Yet, because of HIM and his infinite love for us, I can sacrifice the next 13 months of my life knowing that when I see my daughter again, many people’s lives will be changed and we will all have a better understanding of what the Savior truly did for us.
<3 Heart Strings <3 