Apr 10
30
Moving
Stephanie is our guest blogger today. Stephanie is a wife, mother, and great friend. Today, she expresses her feelings about moving and all the adventures that accompany it. Enjoy, and let her know what you think!
Preparing to move can seem daunting, to say the least. You would think someone who has moved as often as I have would be better prepared. There are many thing to consider in making a major move across the continent, which I have done 5 times and am about to do again. I have complained and fought most of these moves, but have come to realize they have helped to make me who I am today. I have lived in the following places in consecutive order (coming home in-between, as you will see): Lakeland, FL (1957 – 1960); St. Petersburg, FL (1960 – 1963); Lake Wales, FL (1963 – 1967); Lakeland, FL (1967 – 1980); Memphis, TN (1980 – 1982); Lakeland, FL (1982 – 1983); Anniston, AL (1984 – 1985); Augusta, GA (1985); Panama City, Republic of Panama (1985 – 1988); Odenton, MD (1988 – 1991); El Paso, TX (1991); Lakeland, FL (1991 – 1993); Las Cruces, NM (1993 – 1994); Lakeland, FL (1994 – 1995); Chandler, AZ (1995 – 1997); Lakeland, FL (1997 – 1998); Albuquerque, NM (1998 – 2000); Sacramento, CA (2000 – 2005); White Mills, PA (2005 – 2007) Lakeland, Fl (2007 – Present). I am now preparing to move to Gilbert, AZ. The first and most important step in this process for me is to pray. I pray to Heavenly Father for approval of this decision, physical strength to either direct the movers or for me to purchase the supplies and pack our belongings, emotional strength to enable me to accomplish the many tasks involved in a calm manner, and wisdom to not miss anything that must be done. I then make a general list of things that need to be done, which gets refined many times before the feat is accomplished. The way this has worked for us is that my husband goes ahead of the family and secures a new dwelling place for the family to follow. The corporate moves were the best because there was a moving company that moved everything including the vehicles, and I just had to monitor the packing and loading of all my worldly possessions and then clean the home we were leaving, stay in a hotel until time to get on an airplane to fly to my new home, then again monitor the movers as they unload and unpack everything. That was great! I have, however, had the daunting task of researching the cost of self moves, then creating and implementing a plan of action. There are so many things to consider: schools for the children, proximity to a congregation of my faith, access to shopping, rents within the budget, etc. My husband and I each made these initial researches, then we would discuss the most viable option from the information we had obtained. This next move does not require as much investigation since the kids are now grown and we don’t have to worry about the best area for them to adapt to the new climate. You wouldn’t think that a move within the bounds of America would be a culture shock, but I can attest to the fact that it is. Each area is part of a neighborhood, which is part of a city or town, which is part of a region, etc. Each one of these divisions or separation has its own characteristics. There are generalities that exist, but we have moved east to west and south to north, from small rural communities to large metropolitan areas — and they have left their impressions upon us. We have lived in conservative areas and liberal areas, lower-income areas, middle-class American areas and just about anything in between. The kids complained: they were leaving their friends, they wouldn’t fit in, they couldn’t go on, etc. It was my job to make each move an adventure, a new beginning, and to encourage continued contact with old friends and making new friends. It was not easy, and over the years I have found that we have become accustomed to moving every 18 -24 months. If we don’t, there is a restlessness that sometimes goes undefined until someone mentions that it is time to move again. Then, everyone says, “Ah, that is what that nagging feeling was!” I, on the other hand, am tired and don’t want to move again. We had thought this last move would be just that, the last move. However, with the current economic climate, it is a matter of survival. I will miss many things from Lakeland, many people…but I will make new friends in Gilbert and find new hobbies and adventures to make this move a new experience. The key is to make the Lord the head of every decision and the center of your family, remaining optimistic, looking at newness as opportunity and encouraging love and acceptance of things different.
