soccer game - Shelley Beatty

We arrived in Salt Lake City and knew we would have to wait a few minutes at the airport before our ride arrived. The Salt Lake airport is not a bad place to spend a few extra moments…it is a place you can witness a moment (and secretly share) the joy and happiness of perfect strangers.

We watched families welcome home and joyfully celebrate their returning missionary. These missionaries were returning home after serving a two year mission somewhere in the world for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). They had not seen their families for that entire time. Only Christmas and Mother’s day are they allowed to call home. Weekly emails were their only form of communication. Cheers would erupt as a young man in a suit would appear at the top of the escalator and slowly descend to the waiting group below. The cheering would continue, signs would wave and people would jump up and down. But when the young man reached the bottom, and it never failed, the first person he would embrace was obviously his mother. It was always a long, sweet and very emotional embrace. And then his dad would receive a big hug. And then siblings would “glom” onto him and create a mass hug. Other relatives and friends followed. So very heart warming. We knew no one, spoke to no one, but we witnessed, shared and thoroughly enjoyed, the sheer joy and happiness of perfect strangers watching their sons come home from their missions at the Salt Lake City airport.

Joyful reunions at the Salt Lake City Airport

And then it was on to other activities and a full few days we enjoyed with Jen, Adam and kids in Salt Lake City.

It was a busy time in Salt Lake City.

One of the reasons we came to Salt Lake City was to see the kindergarden production of Mother Goose nursery rhymes. More specifically the Queen in Sing a Song of Sixpence. We had to see her in the parlor eating bread and honey!