In two more sleeps I will be flying to Texas in order to drive home with my mother in law and what is left of her belongings.
Two months ago she and I were on the phone having a conversation about her life, the changes that were coming with her career and how tired she was getting. I could feel the corner of impossibility that she had convinced herself she was in and I immediately offered for her to come and live with us.
Instant relief. A divine gift. A simple solution to what seemed an impossible situation.
The past two months I have felt steadfast in the decision and preparations. I had so much fun choosing a color for her bedroom and getting the carpets cleaned and ready for her arrival. Each week brought new 'issues' on her end, repairs to her house, unexpected shoulder surgery. All in all I think things have gone very well for a transition as big as this one (well, from my persepective anyway)..
Her house has sold quickly and she was able to get rid of most of her belongings at a yard sale.
To make things a little bit more comfortable for her, I've set out some new ground rules for the boys. Things like "close the door when you are in the bathroom taking a pee" and "chillax on the 'F' word use while playing Xbox". You know the really important things that there should be rules about!
Other than that we should be good to go.
This transition, this change for my family is just one more experience for us to learn from. From moment one I have felt as though this is a time of tremendous healing and growth for everyone involved. I feel at peace knowing that my family is able to do this for someone we love, to take a burden and help them release it. I love that we are showing our children how to do this (one day I might need a place to stay!)
I've gotten all sorts of advice (and wide eyed looks of shock) from my friends. All of which I took in with a smile. It is hard to explain the sense of peace I have inside of me about this transition, most people assumed it was something that was forced upon us. Nothing is further from the truth. This is a voluntary act of love. In fact, it is an answer to my prayers. I've learned long ago that if you are going to pray bold prayers you must step up and accept the bold answer!
Of course, there may be other issues or burdens that will come about (no doubt...this is life on earth afterall) and some emotional and physical adjustments to be made by all but I've been through enough in this life to know that I will survive them all and not only will I survive, but I will buy the t-shirt and wear it proudly :)
If anything this experience will make for some fantastic blog posts (sorry Mum, I'll try to be gentle){insert evil laugh}.
Two months ago she and I were on the phone having a conversation about her life, the changes that were coming with her career and how tired she was getting. I could feel the corner of impossibility that she had convinced herself she was in and I immediately offered for her to come and live with us.
Instant relief. A divine gift. A simple solution to what seemed an impossible situation.
This wasn't a shock to us. My husband has always felt we'd be taking in at least one of our parents at some point. Thankfully we have been blessed with a home that has plenty of space to accommodate such a change.
The past two months I have felt steadfast in the decision and preparations. I had so much fun choosing a color for her bedroom and getting the carpets cleaned and ready for her arrival. Each week brought new 'issues' on her end, repairs to her house, unexpected shoulder surgery. All in all I think things have gone very well for a transition as big as this one (well, from my persepective anyway)..
Her house has sold quickly and she was able to get rid of most of her belongings at a yard sale.
To make things a little bit more comfortable for her, I've set out some new ground rules for the boys. Things like "close the door when you are in the bathroom taking a pee" and "chillax on the 'F' word use while playing Xbox". You know the really important things that there should be rules about!
Other than that we should be good to go.
This transition, this change for my family is just one more experience for us to learn from. From moment one I have felt as though this is a time of tremendous healing and growth for everyone involved. I feel at peace knowing that my family is able to do this for someone we love, to take a burden and help them release it. I love that we are showing our children how to do this (one day I might need a place to stay!)
I've gotten all sorts of advice (and wide eyed looks of shock) from my friends. All of which I took in with a smile. It is hard to explain the sense of peace I have inside of me about this transition, most people assumed it was something that was forced upon us. Nothing is further from the truth. This is a voluntary act of love. In fact, it is an answer to my prayers. I've learned long ago that if you are going to pray bold prayers you must step up and accept the bold answer!
Of course, there may be other issues or burdens that will come about (no doubt...this is life on earth afterall) and some emotional and physical adjustments to be made by all but I've been through enough in this life to know that I will survive them all and not only will I survive, but I will buy the t-shirt and wear it proudly :)
If anything this experience will make for some fantastic blog posts (sorry Mum, I'll try to be gentle){insert evil laugh}.
Haha, so excited for you and your family! This will be a great and interesting growth experience for all I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck for a smooth transition to this next stage! How lovely for you all that you're all so excited about accepting her into your home. Take care.
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