Life's Lessons

I must admit that I loved our ward in VA. Maybe it was unique in that the members of the ward really tried to make an effort to make everyone feel welcome and the leaders made sure that within the first month you had a calling, visiting and home teachers and that they tried to help you in whatever way they could, be it arranging for the temple committee to babysit so everyone could go to the temple on ward temple day, or making sure that temporal and spiritual needs were met. They were just very good at what they needed and should have been doing. Perhaps part of it was due to the number of transient people in the ward (at least 1/3) they learned such a valuable skill of making others feel welcome I don't know, but I really appreciated it and appreciate it more now.
Fast forward to current day- I have lived in my current ward for 3 months. No home teacher, visiting teacher, or callings. As a matter of fact other than the R.S. president (who is related to me through marriage or otherwise I'm not sure she would) the R.S. presidency doesn't even know my name. For the most part not one person ever talks to me at church. The reason keeps being told to me that all this is because I'm not staying here. Well, 5 months is half a year. But people I guess don't want to be bothered to find out who I am, what I might need, how I can help and contribute to the ward. In fairness the Bishop has been welcoming and accommodating. It just doesn't seem to extend to the rest of the ward.
I've thought a lot about this as I have compared and contrasted the wards. I'm not bitter, although it would be nice to have a friend. I'm blogging about this as this has become my makeshift diary/journal of sorts and I want to remember this. I want to remember how I felt here and how I felt in VA and take that memory with me to the wards, people and places I will encounter in the future. I want to try to do a better job myself of doing what I would wish people would do here for me. So, you really didn't have to read this post it was mainly just for me, but if it helps you help open your ward up to be a little friendlier, and a little more open so much the better.