Moving and Leaning

I don't know how many of you have moved in your life, but Alex and I are becoming pros at this little feat. Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen. Both of us were raised as military service kids, so I was in seven different places before I was in the eighth grade, and I think Alex was in 20 different locations before he graduated high school. I guess you could say it's in our blood.

Wilmore makes our eighth place since we've been married, and five of those we did by the time we were married three years. Alex is the king of organization and can pack better than anyone I know, so it's started around here. We are going through closets and preparing a pile of yard sale stuff, looking at things that we picked up from who knows where, and trying to decide if it's going to continue on the trip with us. There is an art to this, and while it can be done quickly, sometimes the sadness that accompanies it isn't worth it. So we are doing a little here and a little there, and what we have found that goes along with it is a leaning out of yourself from your normal, daily life. Asbury has three chapels a week, and up until lately, I would never miss one. Now I can't work up enough steam to go. There are things that are going on, but we find that sometimes it's easier to just not go or lean out. It makes me crazy when others do it, but I happen to know what it looks like, and if these people in my life are leaning out and I still want to be around them, I go after them and spend time with them on their terms.

With packing, sorting and leaning out also comes the sadness I mentioned. This has been a safe harbor for us to park our ship, and while there are things that we can't stand about being here, there are things that are being ripped from my heart that just make me sad. Mainly it's the friendships that I will miss with people that I have let see the real me, and they decided to love me anyway. But one thing I have learned over the years of moving is that in order to have friends, you have to work at it. While Facebook helps, it also helps you not get too close. I will gather my e-mail addresses and home addresses, and I will keep them close to my heart as the time draws closer, and I will spend time with those friends that see me leaning out and refuse to let me go too far.