Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Back to the Future

     I left my job May 13, 2011 and on May 19th I got in my car and drove to the small town in Virginia where my husband was already living and working. He and I had  begun our marriage there ...almost 34 years ago and now I was returning. My car looked nothing like a DeLorean and I, nothing like Marty McFly but Back to the Future is where I landed. When my Hubby and I first arrived in this town, we were young newlyweds and we thought sincerely this was where we would live and breed. When I did unexpectedly become "An Expectant Mother"...and that sweet baby arrived all those ideas changed! I wanted to be in Florida, where my family was and still is... and I wanted "that" life. My Hubby wanted ME...so, he went along with my decision. Because he did that for me ...I felt like it was important to support him now in his decision to  accept a job in Virginia and build on land that has been in his family for many years. We have left all of our grown children, their children, my parents,siblings, grandmother and a church family that we felt blessed to be a part of...to start a new life. That life, this new life seems so much like "The Life we might have had..."
     Everywhere I look I see the past...buildings are the same, businesses are the same...even the land, we left seemed to quietly wait our return! Everything is different and yet, the same. We first arrived as Newyweds and now return Empty Nesters. In the places we visit we see our young lives beginning ...except the mirror... it is  there we see that we have already had our beginning. Everything is different and yet, the same! That image in the mirror asks question after question..."Did we make the right decison in leaving?" "Did we make the right decison in returning?" "Did we make the most of our time away?" "Will we make the most of our return?"  So far, the image hasn't any answers...just a reflection of hope for our plans for our Future!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Yes, Virginia...there is a Ronda!

Last election I voted for change...not sure I got much change in the political arena but I did get a whole lot of change in my personal life and it would seem I have a whole lot more to come!

The changes that have already happened...Our family business is no more, our adult children all found work that was meaningful and rewarding. I found a job and a group of people I enjoyed working with and for! My husband however did not find work...for a very long time!  But, that also has recently changed...and after he had wall papered the country with his resume he did find a job in a small town, in Virginia, where we ironically, lived as newlyweds.

Another big change for us...After attending our church for almost 20 years we realized that churches' future direction and ours weren't the same. This was a "beyond painful" realization and took a great deal of  prayer on our part to make the decision to leave and join another church, a church that had a passion for the mission we felt very passionate about.We did this, only to discover that we would be leaving that church to move to Virginia. Hubby joked if we had only waited to leave..."They'd have baked us a cake, Ronda!" But, the spiritual journey my husband and I had making this decision was priceless as a couple. God was present for us and we do feel blessed now because  we tried to be faithful to what God wanted for us. It's always easy to say this in hindsight, I struggled mightily during that time!  

So, currently Hubby lives in a small town in Virginia and I live in a not-so-small town in Florida...which is a change neither of us would have voted for but yet...Here we are...or Here I am and there he is!

I am leaving a job I enjoy, family I adore, weather that is perfect and a life that was what was "supposed to be" to live in... Virginia...to be Bob and Ronda, in Virginia. I don't know what other changes are in store for us but we will see them together side by side.