Roman

You have to know my sister Lisa in order to appreciate this story. She would do anything for anyone. If you needed a shirt, she'd pull the one off her back and hand it to you. She's not wealthy by any means, but she's generous with what she has.

On Sunday, we got together as a family to celebrate Father's Day. Mom left Lisa a message telling her we'd eat around 4:30. A little later, Lisa called to get a ride to the house and told Mom that a man had stopped by her house and asked for directions to the Beehive Home in Salem. They talked for quite a while, and Lisa wondered if it was okay to bring him to dinner, too. Mom said sure. Because that's how Mom is - roll with life's punches and enjoy the ride.

Enter Roman. A Russian, from Estonia (I think), who is a nurse and was looking for the Beehive House so he could apply for a job. He was very nice. Thirty-five, single, a twin (whose brother and parents still live in Russia), loves to travel, worked for Tahitian Noni, not a member of the LDS church, and a vegetarian. In conversation with him, Mom found out he was renting a room at the Hare Krishna temple. Andrea swears he was "taking notes" on a notepad, but I sat next to him during dinner and didn't see him writing anything.

As much as things like this make me leery, I also find them somewhat amusing. I don't know any other family that invites strangers into their home and feeds them all while teasing and taunting each other and making fools of themselves. Andrea couldn't even bless the food without the kids laughing. Probably not the best representation of the LDS Church one could have on a first-time basis. Besides that, we knew nothing about Roman. What if he's a con man or a killer? Well, come on in! We accept all kinds at the Miller house!

I will say this: it's nice to be part of a trusting, loving, kind, caring family - even if we're not that way with each other all the time. Let's just hope that was the impression Roman was left with, and pray his supposed "notebook" was filled with only good things instead of addresses, names, and occupations. We wouldn't do well under KGB rules.