Missionary Pass Time

My poor companion has been falling apart at the seams for the past week. First his hip hurt, then his knee, then his neck, his back and everyday it was a different joint. He had a horrible tooth ache and it may have been the cause of it all. After he received a wonderful blessing from his general authority cousin, then got a root canal, he started to mend.

While my "companion" was sick I spent a lot of my time indexing. The internet site familysearchindexing.org was a great missionary pass time where I could do a 30 minute service project each day. I started indexing death records in Louisiana and came across my own birthday 20 September 1946. As I typed the names of the people that died on my birthday I was sad for their family. While my mother was happy I was born, so many years ago, another mother in the world was sad. I have reflected on that thought as I have typed hundreds of death dates. I note each one of how they died and how old they were. The cause of death has been everything from drowning to tuberculosis and the age from 1 day old to 96 years old. I feel a part of each person and their family as I index their names. It has been an humbling reminder of our short existence on this earth and why we should make the best of living the commandments while we are blessed with life. Now I tease my companion that I have to visit the morgue again because I want to see who died next, why and how old. It has truly turned my heart to those who have gone before me.