This is tough to write. Thursday, December 18 is the last night we have as true residents of North Carolina. Tomorrow night, Amy, Andrew and Lauren will join me in Georgia, and our furniture should come soon after. Certainly we are not the first family to move like this, and will not be the last. Regardless, this move is tough on our family for so many reasons.
December 2004 we moved in to the house we currently own. Right about this time of year, we moved to the only home our kids really remember. Andrew turned 4 a few months prior to the move, and Lauren was a few months shy of turning 2. The house interior is starkly different from when we arrived. New carpet, removal of a wall, covering a fire place, painted walls, removing tacky wall paper, changing kitchen and bathroom flooring, tiling bathrooms, and replacing tubs and showers have all taken place. Much labor, money and time has gone into that house. It is great we have a contract, and we look forward to completing the sale to the new owners who appreciate all that has changed. (Side note: Amy and her dad did most of the alterations)
For our kids, this house was home. We hosted birthday parties and sleep overs. Lauren had multiple paint colors on her bedroom walls, and was planning another Both kids had good friends that lived on the street, and much time was spent outside riding bicycles, jumping on trampolines, climbing trees, fussing and arguing, and doing all those things kids are supposed to do.
In the community where we lived, we made some great friends, and those will be missed terribly. My running buddy lives across the street, and I will miss our running therapy sessions greatly. Amy made some very good friends at church and work in the area. Relationships are the toughest things to replace.
Tomorrow will be the last time the kids enter their respective schools. There will be tears as Lauren walks down the street after getting off the bus, and likely as we drive out the street for the last time. Andrew has a final exam. He is not real emotional, yet I imagine even he will be sad to see these folks he has gone to school with since kindergarten for one last time.
To be completely honest, I truly hate moving. Amy has done all the hard work since she has been at the house, and I have been at the new job in Georgia. We are blessed my new employers are providing a moving company to do the truly hard work, yet Amy has packed tons of boxes, and we will need to unpack them once they arrive at our new place. Unpacking and organizing is the bane of my existence.
The good news is we are closer to family and friends It is also good to really feel like we will be in the right spot. Transitions are tough, and while Lauren is certain she will never make any new friends, certainly she will. She and Andrew both are extroverts, and will form relationships easily. The hope is they find good kids, like those we are leaving.
For years the joke has been I have no heart. Freely I admit to not having tons of compassion. Something that does impact my emotions is seeing my little girl cry, especially when my job move to a new town is the reason she is crying. Certainly I do not want to see her sad. Certainly she will recover. Certainly we will have some tough days to follow. Even though she has had a long time to prepare, the time is imminent. She will most likely be very sad, which will mean Amy is very sad. Andrew and I will survive, yet these next few days will be difficult.
This too shall pass. New relationships will be formed. New traditions and routines will develop. New schools and a new church will all become part of the norm. There is no reason to feel sorry for us. That said, if you can send good thoughts, best wishes, prayers and hopes for a smooth move and transition, we will appreciate that greatly.
Time, they are a changin'.........
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