I am thankful for the closeness of family.
When Ward and I finished college, we moved from the Mid Atlantic area to the Gulf Coast where we lived for 15 years. We enjoyed ourselves in New Orleans as young professionals and liked our life in the suburbs of Houston. However, we always missed our families. They were a several-day drive or airplane trip away, and we spent of all our vacation time visiting them.
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| Yesterday, we had a birthday gathering with Ward's family. This is the newest member of the family with her grandpa. |
It was a scary move, because our salaries decreased and our cost of living increased. But we did it. We moved within driving distance of all of our relatives and within an hour or two of many of them. And we have never regretted it. Our kids got to know their relatives and we have been able to be share weddings, graduations, and birthdays with our families. We have, also, been close when there have been hard times, illness, and deaths. Times when families really need to be together.
So for the closeness of our families, I am thankful.
The picture you posted is precious! I didn't venture as far from home as you did, but I did move out of state for awhile after I graduated. Like you, I felt the call of family and connection and returned to my home state after a few years. I've always been grateful that my children have been able to have a close relationship with my parents. Since my husband's family is in yet another state, there is no way we can physically be close to both sides of the family, but we try to make time with them a priority.
ReplyDeleteI cut grandpa's head off in editing of the picture for privacy reasons. This time it wasn't my picture taking. :) Baby Sophia is the first of her generation on Ward's side of the family. She's very cute and certainly knows how to work a room full of adults.
DeleteWe didn't have enough vacation time from our jobs to make more than one or two trips a year back to see our families. Our kids couldn't keep straight which grandparent was married to which one, so it was time to move. Nothing's perfect, but we're very happy that we made the move.
I'm like you in that a relationship with family has always been a priority for us with our kids. I'm sure that all of our kids have benefited by this.
There is something to be said for being close to family. My kids were able to ride their bikes to my folks house and used their home as a halfway pit stop between our house and a couple of their favorite places to ride their bikes.
ReplyDeleteWard grew up about a mile from his grandmother's house and rode his bike over there all of the time. As grandmothers do, she always had a cookie for him. And many years later, when I joined the family, she always had a cookie for me, too.
DeleteThe closeness of your sons and their grandparents is obvious now in how they do things with your mother, even when it's not the easiest thing to do.
Family is precious and being able to be with them is something to treasure. I'm glad your sons were able to grow up knowing the closeness of family. :)
ReplyDeleteI wanted my kids to feel like they had a place they always belonged and family was the best place for that. They got plenty of time with family while growing up here. My parents were still a long drive away, but it could be easily done in a day. I'm sure they saw them more than they would have if we still had lived in the Gulf Coast.
DeleteThat was a wise move. I don't have family. Well, I have two brothers but I never see them. I might see one brother for a few minutes when they are going somewhere else near Christmas. Anyhow, you made the right move!
ReplyDeleteI know some people don't want to be around their family, but we are lucky that we do. So it was the right move for us.
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