As you realize, "It gets better."

It's morning time here along the western side of the Continental Divide and instead of stowing away this computer in my suitcase for the journey tomorrow to Washington State like I SAID I would do, I was moved to make one last post on Blogspot before I go.  Funny, if I were to look back at all of the posts that I have made in the past 3 years~for each one that said, "this will be my last post for a while" you can be assured that within 24 hours, yet another would find its place with the rest. I'm kinda weird that way and shoot, I just accept it.

This morning as I "hopped on" to Facebook to see how things were faring around the world of my family and friends, I saw a very meaningful picture that was posted by my friend Patti who lives back home in Hutchinson, Kansas.  Now, I see photos and plenty of them each and every day of the week on Facebook.  Some are cute, some are funny and some are just what I needed to see at that certain moment in time.  Patti's was one of those kind and it is shown below.

Hey I could go completely down that list, all the way from #1 to #7 and identify with most each one of those things at some point in time in life.  Perhaps you are just like me and could do the same.  In fact, in nearly 58 years of existence, I haven't come across one person yet who had got through life following all those rules without ever making a mistake and believe me my tombstone will never read, "Here lies Peggy the Perfect".  I've been guilty of them all, many times over.  But while reading the list this morning on Patti's Facebook page, one of them in particular really jumped off the computer screen and spoke to me in a way that only things like that can do.

#6-Stop thinking too much.  It's alright to not know the answers.  They will come to you when you least expect it.

This summer has been a great example of how I NEVER seem to be able to follow rule #6 and if I had a dollar for every time that I have answered Mike's question when he sees a troubled look on my face and says "Peggy, are you ok?" and I have answered "I'm just thinking too much.", well then I'd have a lot of dollars.  There has been much to think about and I have found myself pondering some of the most common and uncommon thoughts imaginable.  Questions like....

Will I ever stop being so homesick?
The answer, "Little by little."  In fact, not even a day or so ago Mike and I were talking after supper and I mentioned that I thought maybe my "longing for home" had eased up just a bit.  Mike agreed and he said he could tell because I didn't cry as much as I used to when I was first here.  LOL, he is right.  It gets better.

Will I ever find a job here, one that I truly love and want to do?
The answer, "Yes, you will."  After one "not so good" experience with a job here in long-term health care, I did find a different one.  I have worked part-time this summer as a CNA in home-health care and I have loved it.  It's a joy and a real blessing to be able to provide services to folks in their own homes and to know that I am helping to make a difference to them.  In addition, I have been blessed to return to the world of education one more time and when the school bell rings come August 15th, I will be there. More on that later.  It gets better.

Will I ever be able to stop feeling claustrophobic as I live with (as my friend LeRoy Willis describes it) a ring of "14ers" all the way around me?
The answer, "Probably."  I remember when I first moved out here that was an issue for me.  Having been used to the flatlands of my home state of Kansas, I just wanted to see!  Bulldozing a huge hole through the mountain ranges to see to the other side, was what I considered a brilliant idea.  Now as I have gotten a little more used to the landscape about me, it is somewhat easier.  I try to concentrate not on how much I feel "penned in" but rather to see the beauty in the way my geographical surroundings truly are.  It gets better.

Will I be able to make it "safe and sound" to my son's wedding this weekend?  Will anything go wrong?
The answer, "Peggy Ann Renfro, you are not in charge of everything in this life.  In fact, I'm the one who is so just be leaving that to me." (a thump upside the head and a message from God himself)  I'm not too crazy about flying, about getting on a ferry and travelling across the Puget Sound.  I wish I could close my eyes and click my ruby red slippers and repeat to myself...  "There's no place like Whidbey Island, there's no place like Whidbey Island, there's no place like Whidbey Island......"  but I cannot.  I've done everything I can from this end with tickets secured and luggage to be packed.  I'll be staying away from escalators as much I can and thankfully have enough of a layover in Denver that I don't have to hurry to get to where I need to be.  In spite of everything, in spite of myself, I will make it and I know it.  What a joy it is to see our children get married and begin a family of their own.  It gets better.

Well, it is definitely time to get this thing turned off and get that suitcase of mine packed for the journey but before I go, one last thought.  When my son Ricky called me last evening to visit, I could sense the excitement in his voice as he described his new surroundings, the place where he and Angie will make their new home.  As he described what it was like there, he told me of being able to see the Olympic mountain range and all of the ships, great and small, that sail in and out of Puget Sound.  He sounded like a little kid again, his voice filled with joy.  In fact, he sounded like his mother did when she first espied the San Juan Mountains on her first journey here to south western Colorado back in January of this year.  If I were to have been paid only a dollar for every time that the word "WOW" came from my mouth that weekend, then I would have been able to travel to Washington and back for FREE.  For my son, I am so glad and what a wonderful adventure he now embarks upon.  Life is good~and the God who has given it to us all is so much greater and oh by the way, It gets better.

Have a good Wednesday everyone and catch up with you all later on along the line.

It was SO much easier to keep up with him in those days.  All he needed was his "softie ball" and his Loriannon and he was "good to go".  This photo will always bring a smile to my face.

His first Halloween and he wanted to go as a cowboy.  Barely two years old, I introduced him to the timeless tradition of going door-to-door, begging for candy from total strangers.  :)  He turned out "ok" regardless of the fact and later became a big brother to Grahame and Ursela.