Sunday, February 10, 2013

Who says you can't go home?

Big news with our family...we are moving out west! West Texas, that is. It's "home" to us....

That word...home...is a hard one to define at times! I grew up all over! People hear that I moved during my 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th grades, and I often get asked if my dad was military. "Retail....same thing" was always my answer. It was just natural to us. Yes...it was sad each time we left, but there was always excitement to come!

My husband's family WAS military...then later on they just seemed to move with the jobs...like my family. Because of this nomadic way of life...and thanks to the good Lord's hand in our lives...both families wound up living on Ann Drive in Big Spring, Tx. Mark was my paper-boy. The rest is history. But bottom line is that we both graduated from "dear old Big Spring High"...a year apart. Interestingly...almost immediately after we finished high school, our families left the area, making visits "home" few and far between.

College came next...then jobs...then transfers and more transfers. When we moved from the Galveston area to Central Texas area, I used to claim we were trying to get back to west Texas and just stopped along the way. Then we "settled" in Lorena. My "Mayberry". The kids made friends, Mark got involved in local government, I proceeded to photograph all the small-town moments that I love so much. We were content.

Then along came opportunity. Which meant moving back "home" for us. But wait! Home? We have no family there. Close by, but not THERE! And sure, we have some friends there...but would they accept us back? Did they even know we left? We were just kids then. Now we are old! We are different people. And so are they. And what about the friends here? They haven't known us as many years, but they know the "grown-up" us that we have become. They have been there through our trials and tribulations. Will they miss us? Even notice when we are gone?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But I do know that "social media" has already helped us out. I have kept in touch with a lot of friends from West Texas and those are the same people I'm turning to with questions about the move...the town...jobs for me....etc.

My kids...this will be rough on them. I know that. I struggle with that. But they are being so brave about it. I have been reminded that THIS is their hometown...something I understand. Something I already miss. But there will be contact...daily....with everyone we are leaving.

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