Surreal

Sunday provided a definitive moment in my life. I went home to Hartsville, centrally purposed to hear mr. will give a talk. i arrived at a familiar building with mary (a familiar friend) and was greeted by familiar faces. i sat in sacrament meeting and was directly touched when dennis stood and mentioned the unique feeling of the Spirit from the gathering of brotherhood which sat before him. i left church that day after having bonded with several friends and family and gave mary a tour of my hometown. i went places i haven't been in over 5 years, and ended up in the cemetery. i looked for ancestors on my side and her side and found one or two. it was nice. for the first time, in what felt like forever, i felt a pure feeling of belonging to something. i felt right at home. the roads seemed smaller than what i remember, but my love for the place much deeper than i've ever felt. i felt the soul swell like wood placed in a pool of water and taken out to dry. i was so filled with love, and so affected by spiritual influence it almost overwhelmed me. it's interesting to me that a hometown is capable of bringing so accurate understanding and feeling. In hometowns, we recollect, we exercise our minds and souls in ways they're rarely used, and when that happens we often times learn something new. i learned to appreciate a little more of what matters most, and to live life to benefit what matters most. the experience in Hartsville was surprising and i loved it.