A New Beginning and the Dream Continues

Sunday is moving day for my hubby and I. 

Wow!  It has been a crazy road. After living in the same home (the birthplace of AHG) for over 20 years, we decided to put our proverbial toe in the water to see if anything nibbles on it. After two weeks which included two Open Houses, that house sold.  Shocking - literally my body jumped out of my seat when I heard we had an offer.  I told the hubby, "Honey I was only kidding!"  He did not find that amusing.

For the last decade, Pat and I have watched our birds fly out of the nest, at least for a while.  Some flew back after college and some zigzagged back and forth a bit more than that.  But now all four of our beloved birdies have "flown the coop," starting families and/or careers and buying their own homes.

This is every family's dream, right?  Of course right, but then, we ask, why is it so painful?  My heart is giddy with delight at the opportunities God will place before them and pained with angst at the disappointments they will encounter that life so often brings.  And, selfishly, I consider my aching heart as I miss their companionship, their constant chattering, their need for me to bring them somewhere and their desire to try every activity known to man. 

Raising kids is not for the faint of heart and certainly raising four of them requires some fortitude.  But alas, Pat and I will be empty nesters in a new home in a new part of town.  We are excited.  We chose the place with our grandkids and us in mind.  No longer do we need to pick the location of our home while considering the best schools, or the convenience of playmates and the other "amenities" we think important, now we picked a place where we can enjoy nature, prayer and play.

Life changes, needs change and we change.

And as I pack yet another box (where did all this junk come from?) and sort through another tub of memorabilia from my precious kids, I thank God for His blessings on my life.  He is so good to us, He loves us so fervently, so faithfully and so unconditionally.  I want this new beginning to be a continuation of the good work He has started in our hearts and to give back to Him in these future decades.

And by the way, the guilt of leaving the founding home of AHG has slowly left my conscience.  My husband said it so well.  "AHG did not start here in these four walls, it started in your heart and has found its home in the hearts of thousands of others who love it just as you have and God will continue to have it "founded" in the hearts of generations to come". 

Did he say this just to sell the house?  No he is a very wise man, that Pat Garibay. And he knows just how to get me to agree :).

Until next time,
Patti