Last year was an amazing year for us. The biggest blessing by far was the addition of BubbaJ to our family. It took a lot of adjusting, but he has added so much joy to our family. Now we are faced with another event that will hopefully bring us lots of joy too. My parents have gotten a permanent residence in our state.
Ever since, well, really the summer before my senior year in high school my parents have moved a lot. My dad moved to Virginia and my mom stayed with me so I could finish high school. Then she moved to be with Dad. After that they lived in Texas, Oklahoma, back to Texas, and Florida. For the last several years they have lived in their fifth wheel or motor home, so they have been in Florida some of the time and with us some of the time.
My parents' decision to move away was one of the best they ever made. That, along with my maturing into an adult, have made our relationship so much stronger. Also, they found joy that I'm convinced they could never have found any other way. But it came with it's down sides. While other college kids were going back home on the weekend, I didn't have a home to go to. While other families gathered at their childhood homes for holidays, allowing them to reminisce about Christmas's and Thanksgiving's past. We didn't have a childhood home to go back to. When we tell our kids we are going to see Grammy and Papa, they aren't sure where we are going. They have missed basketball games, soccer games, music concerts, and birthday parties. But we have enjoyed some amazing family vacations that our kids will remember forever.
While they will still be gone some, I look forward to the benefits of my parents living close by. They will be able to have us all over for supper, babysit the kids if we need them to, come to some of the kids activities. I'm sure there will be lots of adjusting. How often will we see them, where will we see them, what will we do when we're with them? How to balance letting them have their own lives with our desire to have them around for everything. But as BubbaJ has showed us, adjusting can be very difficult and sometimes painful, but the blessing that remains is well worth it.
Father, Be with our family as we make this adjustment. Guide us through our decisions and our reactions to others decisions. Help us to think of others first and to use kind words as we communicate as a family. Mold our desires into your will and use this opportunity to show each of us your glory, grace, and wisdom. I pray that this change will bring comfort and joy to our entire family. Thank you for giving me parents who have put you at the center of their lives and given me a legacy of faith to follow. In Jesus Name, Amen.
