We got home from Idaho just in time to see our nephew get off the plane from his mission in New York City.
If you’ve not been at an airport homecoming – let me set the stage. The missionary has been gone for two years – with limited contact, two phone calls a year and a weekly email or letter. The airport is filled with excitement. The parents – especially mothers – are a mix between anxious and excited. It’s almost painful to see people walk though security from the flight and not be the missionary. I’m not sure why, but they always seem to be at the back of the plane and the wait becomes unbearable.
And then you see them through the glass security barriers. They start walking faster as the mothers meet them as close to security as they can and tears of happiness fill the air. It’s tender to witness.
I’ve been in airports when a missionary was coming home and I started to get choked up watching them embrace their loved ones and I didn’t even know them! But knowing the missionary makes it even more special, it is such a sweet reunion. Our nephew was no exception. How good it was to see him embrace his parents for the first time in two years. Welcome home Smith!
