How Is This Summer Life Changing For You
How is this summer life changing for me? Well, where to start… There is some personal business I need to attend to. I must get back on track to feeling healthy and fit again. I’ve been stabbing at it, but not totally committing and getting it accomplished. I had so much on my plate after returning from Israel last May, that I just completely tanked all that I had worked so hard for. Yes, I am no longer an empty nester, which was a part of letting a lot of “stuff” go. I let him go and he returned…
Not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that:
- Happy that he loved & missed us
- Sad that he did not love college the way I hoped he would
- Depressed that I must go back to making sure that I’m fully clothed to leave my bedroom
- Hate that I have to hear “What’s for lunch/dinner” EVERYDAY!!!
- Super excited that he’s back in a church where he is fed
- Traumatized over what the grocery & restaurant bills look like.
- Scared that he likes it here SO much that he may never leave.
All in all, I’m a blessed momma. He is such a great young man. I’m good with it all, well for a while anyway.
As far as plans for this summer, they are not big. We have a couple of in state events that we plan on attending. A Team National weekend convention, my first blogger / influencer convention, camping and a few lake trips. There was going to be a Wisconsin trip. It is still optional / possible. Just know this I ALWAYS have my essentials bag packed and can & will travel at a moment’s notice!
How’s my life changing this summer…
Summer, oh yeah that’s right mine is total readjustment, again. Hopefully all this adjustment allows for me to have perspective for my friends when they go through these times. That takes me to the next part of this post.
Meet Robyn Smith
I met this mom, Robyn Smith several years ago. She was high school sweethearts, longtime married to the love of her life partner to Todd Smith. Todd & Robyn were friends with my husband in high school. I admire the mom, wife and friend that she is. She was a military wife (he’s retired now). It takes real women for that job. She’s raised to amazing daughters. One is married and fixing to have her second child. They are also military, so that allows for travel for Robyn to visit them. Robyn’s baby girl, Mary just graduated May 2019. Guess what, Robyn is right where I was last June…. Staring that road of empty nest head on.
How Robyn’s life is changing this summer
The rest of this post are Robyn’s words. I want to honor her by changing very little. I think you will hear her kind, Godly woman heart as she steps toward a different future. She is about to enter a zone of the quieter home, lower grocery bill, less shopping, a LOT less laundry, and missing her baby. I pray that this touches your soul as it did mine.
Big Orange Suitcase and Over Packing for Life
The big orange suitcase has been many places. I don’t have a blog or even an audience to read anything I post, but I have a little story about the orange suitcase. That orange bag holds a ton of stuff. I think this past trip to North Carolina I noticed the zipper about to give out. When that bag is full, there is no way to travel light. Yes, it has everything imaginable for a trip but it really is a heavy beast.
Road Trip
We took it on our road trip a few months ago. Oklahoma to Del Rio then to California and back home. You should have seen us lugging that big bag in and out of all the hotels…I even got stuck in a revolving door getting into the Renaissance in Vegas because I had so much to lug in for one night. I didn’t look classy. Yes, I got hung up in the revolving door and had to stand there unable to move because I was laughing so hard.
Packing light is so overrated, well for some
Same thing happened on my last trip to NC with Mary. Took everything we could think of that might be needed. I know that traveling light is the best way but time and time again I over pack.
How’s your life packed?
I do that in life. I admit my prayer life is a lot like that heavy orange suitcase. Only what I carry with me is everything I could possibly think of to cover in prayer. It’s a fearful way to pray and I realize I DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT!
Change is always coming
Todd and I are about to be empty nesters. We have only a few short weeks of life how we’ve known it, and even in those weeks, she’s gone!! So soon we start a brand-new chapter. We are truly excited and happy, but all our familiar ways are changing.
“What if’s” & “Will’s” are heavy
What I’ve been carrying around in my bag lately is all the what if’s. Will we know what to do with ourselves? We know we will, but we’ve had a child in our home for almost 26 years now. It might take some getting used to. Will our youngest think of all the things I’ve said to her leading up to this day? How will she survive our mistakes along the way? Will she remember the advice Todd has given her? Hoping she will remember the car rides and conversations we have when we ride together.
Revolving doors can be terrifying
Revolving doors can be terrifying, whether its an actual door or just a metaphor. I get caught in that revolving door with too many things to carry and I want to stand there laughing and not crying. Actually, I don’t want to carry so much that I make a scene ever again. I think it’s best to travel light.
Trust God to be the bell man
I no longer have to carry every scenario to the throne of God “just in case”. All I must do is trust in Him! He will even pray for me when I don’t know what to pray for. Such peace that brings as I change gears in how I pray, because I won’t know each day like I know, now. I won’t be able to check in and get a feel for what she might need. God has told me I can start traveling light and He will carry each day’s load for me, for us all.
Weeping is but for a night, the sun will shine tomorrow…
Will I cry when we change gears? Probably…I am right now…but good tears. I don’t have any regrets that I haven’t already talked to Jesus about. I’m sure He will remind me to put that down when the day comes that I want to pick it all back up.
New bags in the works
Long little story about a big heavy suitcase but this is how I’m making this transition and I feel like it’s helpful to share. It’s so helpful that I do have a bunch of mom friends that are traveling the same path right now. I’m thinking of 11 Moms right now. You all know who you are:) I think we need to shop for cute new bags!!! (I suggest SwissGear, High Sierra, Coach or LV)
This is how this summer is life changing for many families
My heart goes out to Robyn and the many mom’s, dad’s and new graduates. Even if the nest isn’t emptying just now, change is still happening. The allowing them to transition into adults still living at home is even more difficult, as I am finding out. Boundaries are changed, but rules are still in place. Where does student, child, adult, make your own decisions, pay for some of your own expenses, get up before noon begin and end???
How’s is this summer life changing for me… I’m trying to find answers to all of the above….
My biggest blogging struggle:
To actually get more than 2 post out in one week. I was trying to get one a day out. EVERYDAY for the month of June (check out the previous post) and I’ve already screwed it up… This post was suppose to have been yesterday’s. This paragraph was suppose to be today’s entire post. But this is all ya get.
Enjoy the read, Robyn did a great job!
Keep livin in a Rhapsodyville state of mind,
Trina
