Admittedly, this title could apply to a number of things in my life but today I’m using it in reference to my ward. You see, with 4o YW and about a bizillion primary kids we’ve known that our ward was well on it’s way to splitting. I, myself, have unabashedly been tossing idea after idea into the rumor mill trying to come up with a viable outcome for this inevitable event. I thought I was prepared until the bishop stood up during mutual opening exercises this week to announce the actual meeting where they show you the overhead with the maps and the numbers of families, high priests, etc. As soon as this eventuality became an actuality I started to feel a bit sick to my stomach. This morning that sick feeling turned into tears when I went to my YW Presidency Meeting and found out what the boundaries are on our side of the highway.
I’ve been remotely affected by ward splits but this will be the first time I’ve actually been so invested in a transitioning ward. We’re in the section of the ward that gets combined with some other ward fragments to create a new ward. Today I found out that our fragment isn’t nearly as large as I was hoping and it left me feeling a pretty sad. We have loved and been loved by some of the best people I’ve ever known and it’s depressing to think that in many ways it will be the same ward, we just won’t be in it. Not only does our ward win almost every youth and adult activity in the stake 🙂 but we’re also known for our strength, friendliness and willingness to help out.
As we went over the info this morning I was disappointed to find out that only 3 of our young women would be in the new ward. I don’t anticipate having a calling with the young women again but I was looking forward to seeing at least some of them grow and mature and I’m sad that I won’t get to see these awkward little Mia Maids make their way into Laurels and beyond. I’m also feeling somewhat helpless as I contemplate the future without the bedrock leaders that have sheperded us so well during the last 2 years. I’m grateful that other wards will contribute great people and I know there is untapped talent around here but I’m not looking forward to leaving this well-oiled machine.
Ritchie and I were the second family to move into this piece of the ward so we’ll now be separated from the people who’ve been our ward family since we got here. I know there will be new friends and new opportunities but we’ll miss the people we’re closest to, the ones we’ve served with, the ones that we’ve known the longest, the ones who welcomed us, gave us callings and helped us be involved. I know that it’s great that we have enough move-ins and new members to create a new ward. And I know eventually our new ward will be great but today I’m wishing that we lived a few miles further south :).