Saturday, November 15, 2008

Falling in Love with Connecticut

Last year, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we loaded up our car and headed to our new home in Connecticut. I loved North Carolina. We lived in a great town with fantastic neighbors and wonderful friends. We were moving to a place I had never dreamed of living. And we were leaving warm weather for the frosty northeast. Peter had already lived and worked there for a month and a half. Since our home wasn’t sold yet, we had leased a furnished off season rental.

Sometime during the 12 hour drive Peter mentioned that the place he’d rented had no dishwasher. And the dryer was broken.

So I was missing my family and friends while living in a drafty house (you could literally sit on the couch and feel the wind blow throw it). It was dark and dusty and the furniture was 30 + years old. And the kids were not adjusting to their new school. And Peter was working all the time. And I didn’t ever want to move from North Carolina. I hated Connecticut.

And then one day I was hanging my laundry in the basement to dry. I was pondering the reason for living here. With 6 kids and no dryer, I had a lot of time to ponder. I had felt strongly this was where we should be and leasing this house was the right plan, so why was I so miserable? And as I silently whined, a thought came to my mind, as clear as day. “Why are you complaining? This is the answer to your prayer.”

You see, for many months I have worried about my near teenage children. How was I going to guide them? What could I do to direct them during this difficult time of life? I had prayed for the wisdom I needed as a mother. As I stood in that basement, God let me know that these experiences were the direct answer to that prayer. I was here specifically to receive that wisdom.

And slowly, I began to fall in love with Connecticut. The people I have met here have been nothing but kind. The parks and libraries are much nicer than our old town. And the summers? I can stand the cold winters if I can have New England summers. But even the summer can’t compete with the autumn. Wow. Beautiful can’t begin to describe it, but to try any further would almost be an insult.

Our second rental is perfect for us. I’m glad to have my furniture again. Our new school is wonderful. The kids are thriving. Peter’s work is at the crux of easing up. We are making great friends and great memories.

Even though I still miss my family and friends, my old house (which has yet to sell), and warm winters, in the last year, I have fallen in love with this place. I don’t know what the future holds for Peter’s work, but it will be hard to ever leave Connecticut.

I am thankful that God answers prayers. Sometimes to get where I need to be, I have to travel where I’d rather not. And to find love unexpectedly along the way has been a blessing.

14 comments:

  1. I'm glad that you are loving Conneticut now...and that you have a dishwasher! Abe misses having his cousins closer though! Now all you need to be perfectly happy is to sell your Ayden house!

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  2. I know exactly how you feel. I have been hating life since I moved here. But I think I am here for a reason. I just don't know why yet. luckily things are getting better and I do have a dishwasher and dryer

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  3. I feel the same way. I am worried about our children as they grow into teens. I pray every night that we will be led to a place where they will thrive and grow in the gospel.

    And, I suppose when I moved here I wasn't thrilled. I moved at the beginning of the summer when everyone was going on vacations. It was a hot and miserable summer. I had no dishwasher and my husband was taking over 30 trimester school hours. But I love it now. (We got a portable dishwasher and that helped.) I will miss it greatly when we move next summer. Thank goodness our Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves.

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  4. This was beautiful. Thanks for sharing Charlotte. Even though this post made me homesick again for my old home, it also helped me realize that maybe I am where I'm supposed to be at this time in my life as well. Thank you.

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  5. If you think CT is beautiful in the fall you should see it here in Pasco WA. The tumbleweeds are absolutely mesmerizing as they roll across the road. They are like little angelic balls finding their way to heaven. ahhhhhh so peaceful.

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  6. I have to say ditto to my wonderful husband who has joined my efforts in moving everyone we know to Pasco, but at the same time I am glad you have found peace....at least for now.

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  7. This post almost made me burst out in tears. I didn't realize how much I counted on the fact that you wanted to move back to NC. I miss you guys so much and feel so sad that our wonderful memories of living close are temporarily at a end. I am glad that you are happy though. I am really excited to come and visit for Christmas.

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  8. I can relate to all of you. We also know that we go where the Lord wants us to. We have made many moves and our children have met their husbands on some of those moves. If you really want to see some awesome tumbleweeds you have to come to El Paso. They are go big and go so fast. We also have dirt devils.

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  9. I am now in the prayer mode over our children and where we should live. Thanks for your testimony, you are a great example.

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  10. Yeah! You hit the one year mark. I always tell people not to fret - it takes a whole year to stop hating Connecticut. You made it! Yippee! The 5 of us are very glad you moved here. It's not often all 5 of us like people in the same family!

    Those pictures are Awesome!

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  11. Wow...it has been a year!! Time flies!! We are glad you came here too. I will miss everything you mentioned about CT when we head to our place we would rather not go to get to where we need to be. Thank goodness my family is there to make it better. :o) Glad to have you and your family here.

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  12. I'm laughing at the Pasco, WA comment - I've been there many times and know exactly what you're talking about! Ha ha.

    Anyway, Charlotte - love the post, love the pics. I'm missing a REAL Autumn so much right now. I'm glad you've been able to see the beauty in God's plans and in His creations. Lucky you!!

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  13. Do I seem to be frantically trying to catch up on commenting...I feel obligated since I had such a pleasant visit with you. These feelings are so aligned with how I felt when we first moved here. Same same and same...except our dryer works and my kids have a few more years until they are teens, but you get the idea.

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  14. This was good for me to read (thanks link within)...I struggle with this too living in New Mexico. I seriously wonder why I am here some of the time and if I will ever feel like I fit in, but I know that this is where we are supposed to be. Although I have to say that I do have a secret wish to live in the east one day.

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