Change of Address

I shot some cute photos of my little monsters and they were all Fall/Thanksgiving looking, so I thought I'd get out my cards early this year and make them Thanksgiving AND Christmas cards!  I just took the fall photos and added some Christmas lights borders around them. I mean, we moved this summer, so we have a new address, so sending them out early seemed like a great idea.

But of course they arrived the day AFTER Thanksgiving, which was totally MY fault for ordering them late, but alas, now I have a card with a Thanksgiving theme that will go out in December. Oops.

Anyway, as I was sitting and addressing them I was making sure to take note of the "updated on" column of my address book in excel. After all, we have lots of military friends who live all over the place and those little labels change often.

But then I started thinking about the ones that haven't changed. I smiled and thought about the many friends who have been able to use the same address for many years. The homes that are so comfortable and familiar that every nook and cranny could hold memories. I love that!

Honestly, his most recent move has been tough. For a few years in a row, we moved every 1-2 years, and we lived in 6 places by the time our oldest son was 7. Those years it was just natural and easy to pick up and start over again. Well, it wasn't ever EASY, but it wasn't quite so hard.

But then we got "stuck" in a place for over 3 years. It became home to us. We loved it there and we had a million friends and the best neighbors in the world and a church that felt like a home. Getting to share our Cambodia experience with that church is one of my greatest joys.

And... then we were off again. The kids are older now and the roots in our last place were deeper than before, so moving across the country this time was tough. As Mom, I had to make sure the kids were settled and happy and make sure the house was unpacked and comfortable. I had to take care of all the details before I could start to plant new roots. And now as I try to do that I'm finding it much harder than ever before.

Here we are at Thanksgiving and I'm writing "notice address change" on envelopes I'm getting ready to mail while still thinking that next year I'll be moving again and doing this yet again.

It's in the midst of all this - the address change, the long list of friends whose address hasn't changed in years, the season of giving thanks - that I stop and reflect on relationships.

Sometimes we can be surrounded by people and yet still a little lonely. Sometimes we can be far away from a dear friend and yet feel so close by a simple conversation or by sending a letter.

I think I'll take a moment to give someone a call (or a hug!) today and every chance I get. Who knows how many people around me are in need of that this holiday season?

Happy Thanksgiving!