I Feel I Have Always Known You

Monday, November 17, 2014

I woke up this morning and said to Mike, "It's not raining!"  Happy Anniversary!
This is what I posted on Facebook today:

When our adventure of life began together 41 years ago, we had no idea that our path would lead us back to the country that separated us for 2 years as Mike served our Heavenly Father as a full time missionary. We chose together for him to serve instead of getting married. Hard to do? Yes. But our marriage and our lives have been blessed in so many ways because of our choice. We are also seeing in "real time" the fruits of his labors done so many years ago.
So, here we are again. This time we are again separated not from each other but from our loved ones none the less. Hard to do? Yes. And I have no doubt the blessings are there for them.
Our desires are for ALL to enjoy the peace and joy that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our 41 years of life together is proof.

I also posted a couple of weeks the comment that I saved a poem for my posterity on familysearch.org. I have since realized that no one can access that poem until I am dead.  So with Mike's permission I am sharing it here on our Anniversary day.

I Feel I Have Always Known You

To my better half, Debbie

I feel I have I always known you.

When did these feelings begin?

Did we wait in the chaos together,

For creators their work to begin?

When they started their work of creation,

And hopes began to come true

Did we marvel and wonder together

As the heavens rolled into view.

Then what glory to be clothed in a spirit!

What new freedoms and chances to learn!

In the change and the growth were we parted?

For the missing part of ourselves did we yearn?

Were divine hands what brought us together?

Did Father bring us each to a knee?

Or in the immense place we call heaven,

Do some things just have to be!

Do spirits hold hands and rub shoulders?

Did your smile then make my heart soar?

Did your nearness bring peace and contentment?

Is what I feel now what I felt long before?

Were our fingers entwined together?

Did we shout with joy and great ecstasy?

When the great councils of heaven proclaimed

That creators like God we could be!

Me thinks in some pre-mortal temple

A promise I made with thee

And secured an eternal commitment

To share life and eternity.

I think you cried on the day that I left.

My birth gave me a head start. 

The mortal adventure soon had us both.

How long could life keep us apart?

I think that the universe knew,

And all things have conspired together,

To unite us, eternal companions,

And seal us a family forever!

Death will yet tear us apart,

And in it we will cry together.

But in the end our Savior and friend,

Will bind us together forever!

Thoughts by Michael Burnett about his wife and eternal friend, Oct 22, 2014

The rest of our day went as follows:

Shopping most of the day with the Anderson's.  

At 8 pm we were finally done and we were looking for a restaurant that had delicious steak. Pres Cook had taken us there once. This would be our special Anniversary dinner.  We received a phone call from our Hermana Ots who is working in Pan de Azucar and she informs us that she has something in her eye. She went to her local clinic and they just covered it with a patch and said if it's not better in the morning to come back.  She said she could still feel it in her eye.  We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and told Hermana Ots we would drive the 1 hour to pick her up and bring her into the emergency care here in Montevideo. We spotted a Burger King instead and would have to make a rain check for our steak.  

We had Hermana Ots out of the emergency by 1 am. She was in the doctor's care for 5 minutes and they successfully removed whatever she had in her eye.  

We had Hermana Ots and her companion stay with us and they could catch a bus back to Pan de Azucar tomorrow....or wait today!