Remember my pen-pal in Alaska named Maxine? Well, here's my letter to her (and to you!).
September 1, 2015
Dear
Maxine,
Here I am writing this long-overdue letter to you from my
mother’s home in Spring, Texas. It may
come as a surprise to you (mostly because I’m only just now telling you or
because, like me, you never imagined that this could happen), but Chuck and I
have relocated along with our three kids to Spring, Texas. Did you gasp?
I did. Several times, in fact.
Isn’t it bizarre? I have to admit
that never in all my years of marriage did I ever foresee that we would live in
Spring. Of course, God has his own way of surprising
us at every turn, so I don’t know why I’m continually taken aback by the twists
and turns in life.
Of course, I guess you’re probably wondering what led us
here. Frankly, so am I, but when I think
about it and tell people it all sounds quite reasonable and normal. Nonetheless, it feels anything but normal in
my shoes these days. The process all
began very late in the school year—maybe April or May. Chuck was receiving calls from multiple
headhunters and the opportunities just seemed to be falling in his lap. It’s no secret that the last couple of years
have been a bit rough and led to some drastic changes in our life plans and
career plans. Still, we were okay just
chugging along in our Fort Worth home of over 10 years, but one opportunity was
just too good to pass up. So we took
it! Well, Chuck took it anyway.
He was offered a position with a large bank to be in charge
of something to do with all of their auto finance across the country (forgive
me for my lack of specificity, but I still have no idea what he does on a
day-to-day basis…it’s seriously above my head).
The catch was that bank's United States headquarters are located in
Houston, Texas. Specifically, near the
Galleria if you know where that is.
Honestly, I’ve only been there a handful of times in my life and would
have to get directions just to go have lunch with my husband! Anyway, the bottom line is that he loves his new job. It’s a huge culture change and very different
from working in subprime auto finance as he had been for the last 15 years
(although it can’t be too different since it’s obviously still auto finance
overall). Nonetheless, he’s embraced it
and is quite complimentary of all his co-workers, which I think is lovely. We are all very excited for him!
On the other hand, we all gave up quite a bit after 17 years
of making Fort Worth our home. I
basically left all the social circles I had enjoyed over the years, including
my friends from college, law school, the legal community, junior woman’s club,
various charities, my book club, and all the kids’ schools. In fact, some of our closest friends threw us
the most amazing going-away party! It
was like saying goodbye to our family.
Moving wasn’t actually a difficult decision to make. It was logical. Chuck was offered a better job in a city
where we would be closer to family and better able to provide for our family. We would actually be selfish parents if we had
turned down this amazing opportunity. Lucky
for us, things seemed to fall into place as soon as we made the decision. Our house sold before it was really even on
the market. We found a house in Spring
that fits our family perfectly and is in the right school district and is super
close to my mother—the person our children adore and will feel most comfortable
with. And even though we aren’t quite in
our house yet and school has started, my mother has generously invited us—all
of us—into her home indefinitely. And just to be clear, “all of us”
includes, my two dogs, two cats, two hermit crabs, one fish, three kids, one
husband, and loads of suitcases and boxes that didn’t quite make it on the
moving truck. She’s a saint. Period. Lucky for us, we move into our house
today!
At this point, we are still just waiting on our things to
arrive and for some final finishing touches to be put on the house, but we are
planning to sleep there tonight. It
really is quite beautiful. I never
imagined I would live in this neighborhood when I was growing up, so it’s kind
of like achieving a childhood dream to live there. Of course, I no longer look at everything
with the eyes of an awed child anymore, so it’s different than I thought it
would be in almost every way. For
example, when I was younger I never noticed how meticulous the landscaping was
in this neighborhood. As an adult, I’ve
caught myself thinking, “How will I ever keep my yard looking as nice as all
the neighbors?? How much does a
landscaper cost? How long will it take
to mow this large yard with our tiny push-mower?” I know it’s weird, but those are my
thoughts. So adult, right? When did that happen?!
With all that said, we are loving the idea of having a “new”
house. The constant repairs and creaks
in the 1942 Fort Worth house were no longer as quaint as I had perceived them
to be ten years ago. I’m ready for
something that’s a little “newer” (as in built in 1993). The windows in this house weren’t installed
during World War II, and I’m very grateful for the advances in insulation, and
an A/C system that wasn’t inefficiently retrofit into my house. Plus, the kids each get their own room with a
spare room available for guests. We have
a pool and a spa, a huge kitchen, and a three-car garage. Huh. I
just realized how suburban I sound! But,
in all honesty, that’s what we have become—suburban.
For years we rejected the Fort Worth suburbs, not because
there is anything wrong with them, but rather because we loved being in the middle of everything—the zoo across the street,
amazing museums and restaurants just minutes away, a well-established and
award-winning elementary school in a tree-lined neighborhood, a hop skip and a
jump from downtown, the art district, and the historic stockyards. How could I possibly give all of that up? Not
to mention all of our friends?
Sigh.
It was hard, and yet so easy at the same time. It was the right decision for Chuck and our
family, but we all miss it so much already.
We moved down here almost three weeks ago after we closed on our Fort
Worth house. We finally closed on our
house in Spring last Monday—the same day the kids started school. We are hoping to get settled this week. The kids are ready for that, and so am
I. I’m hoping that once we are
surrounded with our own junk, we will start to feel more at home and less like
homeless vagabonds.
I love that Chuck has so easily found a place at his new job,
but the rest of us have to work a little harder to start a new life down
here. The kids all started at new
schools—Luke in 6th and in middle school (gasp!), Evie and George in
4th and 1st respectively and attending a new elementary
school just down the street from our new house.
We actually walk there! They have
already made friends, which is wonderful.
They are so resilient!
Now that we are here, I’m surrounded by all of my
siblings. (yes, they all live in some
area in Houston, too)! All five of
them—Cathy, Joan, Mike, Mary, and Tom (and their respective spouses and
children). Oddly, I’ve seen or talked to
all of them in the last few weeks. It’s
definitely a record since we aren’t in the midst of a major holiday. At least there are positives to this move!
So, the real question is why haven’t I told you until now?
Well, I really don’t know.
Maybe I didn’t want it to be real. Maybe I thought it wouldn’t actually
work out. Maybe I’ve just been too busy
to breathe. Or maybe it’s a combination
of all three and everything else in life that keeps us all busy running hither
and thither. But now you know. Now it is real. I live in Spring, Texas. Again.
And in my sentimental moments I realize that I have returned home – where I grew up with my family, where I went
to school, where my oldest friends live, where I lost my dad and healed my
heart, where I planned my wedding to the love of my life, and funny enough,
where I met you! How could this be
anything other than wonderful?!
All of that aside, I’m smart enough to recognize that my
location in this state, this country, this planet, doesn’t mean anything in the
grand scheme of my life. The most important
things and what defines my “home” are my husband and children—my family. And how blessed am I to have them under the
same roof with me—healthy and safe and loved?!
So, there it is.
That’s my crazy news, without all the crazy details of the move as it
unfolded over the summer. I probably
should have recorded all the insanity that goes hand in hand with relocating a
family of five, but between the whirlwind of activity and exhaustion, there was
no way to accomplish such a feat.
On the bright side, maybe I’ll remember to pick up a pen more
often and send a letter. And if I’m
super lucky, maybe I’ll also remember to stamp the envelope and put it in the
mail (truly the most difficult part for me – I can’t tell you how many letters
I’ve written and never sent!).
In the mean time, I hope you are well and enjoyed the
warmth of the summer! You are
in my thoughts often and I’d love to hear how you are!
Much love always,
Theresa
