Life in Transition

I was talking with my mom last night about schedules and trying to establish a routine. I was talking about how difficult it was right now because as soon as I was to get one established, then it would all change again. She then pointed out that our entire family is in a transition period in their lives. Most of these happen to be good transitions, but nonetheless they are still changes and there are adjustments that have to be made.

My brother recently had a wedding at the beginning of June. Before the wedding, he and I were roommates, afterwards he moved into his new wife's townhouse that they had recently remodeled. Both of them are adjusting from long single lives to dealing with each other's quarks. He spoke to me the other night about his wife's lack of financial planning and how frustrating it was going from a comfortable life to what he considered "poverty" now. It didn't help that she had abdominal surgery two weeks ago, and they still haven't gotten everything in their new home straightened out, on top of the fact that she is a teacher and has no income in the summer. They will make it through it, and be better for it.

My middle sister is planning a wedding that is to take place September 26th. The only problem is that they have not settled on a location as of yet. The original plan was to have it on the farm outside of Burlington, NC (that's where his family is from). They were to have their reception in a barn that has not yet been constructed. It still hasn't been started so that plan went out the window. She has since been looking at a couple locations in the mountains. Her fiance is being very stubborn about not wanting to have it in her home location. She has desperately wanted to be married for some time now, and I worry about how happy she really is. She moved to Burlington over a year ago to be closer to him (he gave her an ultimatum that there would be no engagement until she had lived in the same area for several months). She left a job that was perfect for her and where everyone loved her, and she accepted a job that she is not happy in even though she is making a significant amount of money. The coming weeks will tell the story of this future bride.

My mom just recently retired from her career as an Agriculture teacher on June 30th. She is now trying to change her mindset from that of always trying to figure out what it is she needs to be doing next, to one of a more moderate pace. She has had a regular routine for many years and now that routine has dissappeared. She was telling me that now she has to mind another routine and she hasn't exactly figured out what that is going to be. My stepfather is currently gone for the week and mom expressed how that was a good thing so that now she can try to establish a routine for herself instead of looking to him for the next task.

My finace finished her last day of work at Rex hospital in Raleigh yesterday. She now has three weeks off until she begins her new job here in the mountains. She decided to move closer to where I am. I had seen my sisters situation and I wanted to make sure that she didn't leave a good job just to be closer. Well, she found a job that is closer to helping her achieve her life long goals. She is now at home for a couple weeks working on wedding planning and visiting with her family. I just finished college in May, started a new full time job and got a house by myself. I am still trying to get the house in order. I actually have no simbilance of a routine other than the time I go to work and the time I get off. At this point I have accepted that there isn't any point in trying to establish one till Maggi gets here in August.

I don't know that there is any point to take away from this other than Life Happens, plain and simple. Change is inevitable and one can either fight it and be miserable, or roll with it and learn to embrace the new in life and leave the old behind, and turn your worries over to God.