Valentine's Night

After a very short rest, I jumped up and put my Sunday clothes on to go to dinner and the temple with my good friends.  We were meeting at the restaurant at 4:30 so it's a little early, but we wanted to beat the rush and still make the temple.  Dinner was at Mimi's Cafe and we had a wonderful time.  We giggled and laughed and cried (from laughing), and had yummy dinner and dessert.  It was perfect.  Then we rushed off to make our ward Temple night session.

Unfortunately we spent too long at the restaurant and didn't make it for the 7 pm session.  Instead we did sealings.  I really enjoy sealings (doing proxy marriages for those who have passed).  It's a little like getting married all over again.  The best part came when we were done and allowed to go spend some time in the Celestial Room.  That's kind of the final room everyone ends up in after they are done doing whatever work they came to do.  It was mostly empty when we arrived, but soon it began to fill with people from a previous session.  What was so wonderful was watching a young boy ( missionary age) come in for the first time.  He is leaving on a mission and this was his first time in the temple.  As he came through, so did many of his family.  It was so beautiful!  Everyone dressed in white, hugging and smiling.  They just kept coming!  I watched from afar as more family, young and old, entered the room and hugged all their waiting family.  Tears flowed freely for many of them and soon, so did mine.  What a happy and truly joyous occasion.  I'm sure that's exactly how it will be when we die.  We'll enter the after life into waiting arms of those who love us and are waiting for our return.  I couldn't help but wish I was a part of that family in that moment.

Before we left, I had to go shake the hand of this future missionary and let him know what a blessing it was for me to witness his beautiful family sharing in all this love.  It truly filled my heart!  I couldn't have asked to a better ending to my Valentine's Day.