sad goodbyes

Last night Lisa and I watched some of the special features from the extended version of Return of the King. The part that really caught my attention and emotions was when they were talking about wrapping up the filming and saying goodbye to everyone. They had been shooting for over 14 months. I'm sure they were sad that they were done filming the movie, but they seemed almost shell-shocked that they would be leaving the people that they had built strong relationships with over those months.

I relate to that. I think most of us can. For me it brought back the feelings of leaving the mission field. 2 years of working hard on a single purpose with many other people, missionaries or members, and then saying goodbye seemed surreal. It didn't seem like it should be happening. I was finally understanding what I was doing, how to speak with the Dutch and Flemish, and was at the peak of my game. Yet, they still sent me home.

Walking down the terminal to the airplane I kept trying to think what it would be like at home, and I couldn't figure it out. It didn't seem like there would be anything. It seemed empty. I'm sure that's what ol' Frodo, Sam, Aragon, and the others were thinking. That's why I sat there almost crying with them last night. 3 and a half years haven't buried those feelings as well as I thought they had. I still miss my European friends and companions. Dominic Monaghan said to the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings, "All of you have made me want to be a better person. That's the greatest compliment I can give." I echo those words.