Every Facebook post now starts wit "Social Distancing..."

Oh hi kid!,

Sorry for my delay in writing you. You were on my mind with transfers and everything. I looked on the map, you don’t seem to have gone too far. I’m interested in you day to day life under these new social rules. I also wonder about your comps. You all must have a battlefield sense right now. That is to say, you’ve survived one attack, or round of being sent home, and you know there may be others coming. If my vast knowledge of boring war movies lends me any advise to give you, it’s that those moving forward are the ones that best seem to avoid the mortar blasts (except for that one guy played by the actor you’ve never seen before, he’s a goner in the first 10 minutes of the movie).

It’s been interesting to see the effects that your week has had on all of us. For me, nothing seemed reel, from you possibly coming home to you staying. I am so proud of you and I do worry, but mostly I am pleased that you were able to make your own choice, and I stand by that 100%. You mom is pleased as well, though I may worry more. On the other hand, for the last 16 months Jacob has taken the proud stance that he doesn’t even miss you. Then, when he thought you were coming home he was happier that I have seen him in about that same amount of time. Now? He’s pretty upset with you, and mostly he’s worried about you, and it’s genuine. Remember the whole time we lived in Texas how irrationally afraid of tornados he was? We’ll his fear is similar for the Covid-19 and your health. He won’t admit it, and please don’t mention it, bur Sunday you mother and I were fasting for you. Jacob didn’t eat a thing for that time as well. And while he was hangry all day, he stuck to it. He cares about you Ben. Joey openly admits that he was happy you were coming home as he was looking forward to testing his basketball skills against you and playing D&D with you again. But you will alway be the best example to them Ben. In their frustration of you not coming home, your commitment and testimony will always be the standard for them. You are practicing it Ben, in a way that they can’t see when your mom and I try to practice it.

Other people are being influence by all this missionary drama too. Bishop Marchant especially, He was very moved by your experience and said he hope those young men in the ward who are wavering on their mission service would read it. I’ve had many acknowledgments on the BLOG post from people that I know aren’t members of the church. You are doing so much good just by listening to the Spirit and relating this.

I figure by this point in reading you’re pretty done with my referring to you so positively. Sorry, but it needs to come out, just like the emotions and tears that annoy you so much.

In other news, working from home has been interesting. It feel’s like being back on the job hunt in my basement office, but without the pit of dread I felt every day. Oh, and the regular paychecks don't hurt either. I notice if I get out once for a break, to get, gas or buy milk, my outlook remains more positive. Mom’s here, sometimes. She goes into school a lot for the same reasons. I’ve cleaned and organized my office, though by most accounts it still looks like it belongs to a 14 year old hoarder. I’ve been watching reruns of the original Star Trek in the background when I’m not on calls, your brothers see it as a new low even worse than those boring old westerns I’m into.

You’re brothers are realizing they can do all of their school assignments in an hour or two, though yesterdayJoey admitted that he’ll be fine when school starts again.

This morning we were have supposed to be starting our death Valley trip. I really struggled to cancel it. We then thought about going to the Swell. Now everything is shut down. All the good recreational counties have closed all camping. They are worried about their limited hospital space, and exposing their first responders to the virus. I hope this doesn’t last too long. My cabin fever is at odds with my social responsibility.

We’ll, I have a call in a few minute so I’ll let you get back to your morning. I sure love you kid, let’s see what this week brings.

Love,

Pops