My Partner, Millie

I'm going to miss my sister. I know you all will, too, but I really am missing her. We have spent lots of time together with our family of six sisters, and we really are a close family. We have always done lots together. But, for the last 28 years we have spent a lot of our extra time working together at Mini Bazaar. I remember back in the early days of our business, sometimes we'd have a day or part of a day that one of us would have to be gone. On the days that she would be gone, I would check my watch constantly and find myself looking at the stairway at the old location to watch for her to come back. It just wasn't fun when she wasn't there! Millie started talking about getting out of the business and getting ready to go on a mission several years ago. I would just think that I wouldn't worry about that cause it would be a long way off. Then last October she told me that the time had come and she really had to get out of the business because they were in fact called and would be going on a mission. I think I was in denial for the first few months because every time she would try to bring up what we were going to do, I would always find something else that we needed to talk about first. At the first of January, I asked her to please come to market with me one more time. (She always made us a sandwich and brought carrots and some chips in a zip loc for the plane ride after they quit serving stuff on the plane. I hope I told her thanks!) We worked hard together at market, one last time and I was so glad she did that for me.

I didn't really let myself think about her leaving until about the end of January. Then I finally told her that I would quit bugging her to come help and she could leave. She needed to get her home and her personal stuff all ready to be gone for three years. (Wow that sounds like a long time) Anyway, I came across this picture that we took at a little farewell party for her, and I thought I wanted to say farewell to Millie. I have not done it yet because it's just too emotional for me, but, "Farewell Millie". I love you and I'm going to miss you like crazy. I'm so glad that we've had the opportunity to work closely together and you've been so much more than a partner....you're my best friend and I love that we've always thought that each other was so funny. We are good to laugh at each others jokes. We also understand each other's personality. When I couldn't handle a certain situation at work, you would step in. And when you couldn't handle another one, I'd somehow muster up the courage to try to take care of it. Now you'll be partners every day with your husband, and I know you'll be a great partner. He'll appreciate you every day.

Have a great mission experience!

Love, Lucy