For the past 2 years (maybe more) Deona and I have been questioning where we live, how we live, are we making any improvements to ourselves and/or our community? Are we living intentionally? What is our purpose? And
Why the hell do we have all this stuff?!
These questions kept surfacing, over and over and over again. We work to afford "stuff". Stuff that most often brings joy and a smile, for maybe 15 seconds. We both knew it was time to start living and working towards getting off the proverbial hamster wheel. But how does a family of four take that leap of faith? We weren't sure, so we continued in our day to day routine. In the meantime we decided to make the most of our summer and spend some time with my parents in the Hillcountry and Grammy at the beach.
The boys love to visit Granmom and Granpop in Wimberley; there they can run and play until they are out of breath. Sweaty, dirt-streaked faces is completely acceptable at Granmom's house and when it rains Ev and Em have an awesome babbling brook to play in. Riding Big Wheels down the windy driveway, is a favorite too. A family favorite is to ride the golf cart at dusk, around the neighborhood and we are always treated to sights of deer, coyotes, rabbits, roadrunners, all in their natural habitat. Visits to Granmom and Granpop's is a treat and I feel at peace when we are there.
In July we visited Grammy at the beach. Grammy retired in May and living on Galveston Island for 6 months. We spent two weeks in her beautiful furnished condo overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Our visit was perfect; our days were filled with swimming, building sand castles, trash hikes, boogey boarding, snorkeling, surfing, looking for ghost crabs, star gazing and much more! There is a feeling I get when I'm near the ocean; it's another world. It has magic. It's where I can best hear that little voice inside that tells me to close my eyes, breathe and relax. The sounds of water, seagulls and the waves carry my stress out to sea. It's where I regain my faith and recharge my batteries.
Both visits, although very different, were exactly what we needed this summer. These visits were our opportunities to experience what life feels like, off the hamster wheel. I cant help but compare the quality of life we create for ourselves in the metroplex and the quality of life we experience while we visit my parents in the hillcountry and Grammy at the beach. Yeah, I get it, we shouldn't compare our day to day with vacation; but what
I do know is, when our family is out in nature, we are happier people.
As a result, Deona and I made the decision to move. Years and years of talk finally happened; once we decided to take that leap of faith, everything seemed to come together. Within a week, Deona had a job in Galveston, we had a condo picked out and approved (same complex as Grammy), and thankfully our apartment re-leased within a couple of days so we walked without any penalties or fees , even though we just signed a new lease! This was our sign, we were doing the right thing.
We had 1 week to move; this would allow us to arrive in Galveston the day before Deona would have to report to work. This meant we had to move fast and really consider what we were taking with us. Because we were moving to a furnished condo, we took only the essentials and items that were treasured; the rest was donated to a local charity. Letting go of 50+ large bags of household goods, boxes and boxes of clothing, furnishings, gear, etc was difficult, yet freeing.
I had to keep reminding myself, "It's just stuff"; I am hopeful our "stuff" blessed someone or some family out there.
So how does a family of four live intentionally?
Here are 5 easy steps:
1) Pray about it
2) Talk through it
3) You load up the 5x8 UHaul, attach it to your vehicle, get everyone loaded, (don't forget the cat!)
4) Say Goodbye to your stuff &
5) HELLO ABUNDANT LIFE!
A HUGE thank you to Grampy for helping us make the move! Don, I can't tell you how relieved my parents were to hear you would be driving down with us. We very much appreciate it! (((HUGS)))
