Goodbye
We made the official decision to move on July 4, 2019.
We spent the month of July rapidly packing up our entire house, the only home two of you have ever known. That month was spent in utter chaos painting and doing repairs to get the house ready to sell. Most of the month Daddy was either out of town or learning the ropes of his new job that was moving us away.
We left a city we loved with deep friendships and community for all of us.
You didn’t really have time for proper goodbyes with your friends. Everything was sudden and rushed.
A New Norm
We moved in with your grandparents on August 2.
You started a new school on August 8, not even a week after moving to a new home in a new city. And not just a new school, a public school, when all you’ve known prior to this is a private Christian school.
We moved again in November into our home.
New city, new home (twice), new school, new church, new friends, new community.
Everything was fresh and unknown.
Your friendly and kind character allowed you to quickly make friends at school and church.
Just when you were getting settled and beginning to develop friendships, a pandemic hit. Your new world as you knew it shut down. No school, no church gatherings, no sports, no social gatherings of any sort. Only social distancing for the foreseeable future.
You quickly adjusted to virtual learning and accomplished all school tasks and communication from a computer screen.
Any budding friendships were halted.
You were stuck at home with each other, having very little communication with anyone else other than your family and neighbors.
At times, you drove each other absolutely nuts. You argued. You fought. You disagreed. You suffered the consequences of your poor actions and words.
You’ve been lonely, anxious, and tired. It has shown itself in tears, complaints, anger, yelling, and frustration.
At other times, you played well together with imagination and creativity, filling our home with laughter and joy. You enjoyed the rewards of family bonding in quarantine.
Resilience
You finished a super strange school year on May 15, 2020 without proper goodbyes or closure.
Your 2019-2020 school year has seen more change than I wish you had to deal with. You began without goodbyes and you ended without goodbyes.
I’m sorry.
You carry this change and loss so well it’s easy for me to forget you experience the same emotions as I do about the past ten months.
I wish things had started and ended differently, but I’m not in control. I’m just here to help you navigate the path God puts before us.
God has used and will use this difficult season to refine and sanctify you. It will shape you into more of who He created you to be.
Things have been weird and memorable, no doubt. May this always be a season of your life you reflect on with fondness and laughter.
I am so proud of you. You are resilient, you are strong, you are my heroes.
I love you! You three are amazing!
Love,
Mommy
A Merry Heart 