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Have a great day!

Bear in mind as you read that I really like Ohio. Mostly because it’s where Jason is and where he is, is home. I also like the hills, the trees, the seasons. Mostly I’m content here, but...

 

Last weekend Alex and I went “home” for a quick weekend. The closer we came to south Georgia and the more pine trees, dogwoods, lilacs, azalea’s, and low lying swampy land we saw, deep within myself something relaxed and said  “ahhh, this feels like home again”.

 

It was so fun to go home and have mom try to cook all my favorite foods in two days time. To see my son delight in being with his Grandpa whom he adores. To hear my sister say “I’m taking Alex home with me, go do what you want and pick him up later”....and then spending several hours re-discovering who I am when I am not being a wife or a mom or a deacon’s wife.

It was amazing to shop at my old places, to experience the southern hospitality in sales clerks who are thrilled (or at least act like it) that you choose to step into their store, to run into old coworkers who have all the time in the world to chat and catch up, to have strangers say “oh, you are Raymond’s daughter”, or “oh, since you are Marvin’s sister, I’ll just give you their discount”. Ahhh. I have a past there.

To go to church and see old friends, friends who knew me before I was Mrs. Jason, or Alex’s mommy. Friends who stayed up with me all night at slumber parties being silly, who know the strange quirks I have and I don’t have to explain them. It’s amazing to have so much to talk about when I haven’t seen them for so long and none of what we talk about has to do with our children, our schedules or really anything external, but to go right to the heart and find out how we really are. (Although Marylou very nearly left without talking to me and I’ve not yet figured out what it will take to cover that offence.)

It was nice to see new people there and they also welcomed me home. (query: does living in the south just cause you to be kind and friendly?) It was nice that my Miller sisters-in-law were so gracious about my need to just be at mom and dads this time instead of dividing time like we usually do. Truth be told, it felt like something was missing since I spent so little time with them, but time really was limited...thanks Ginny and Sonya.

 

In one of my very frequent phone conversations with Jason I told him that I will always be a South Georgia girl at heart, and he said, “Good!!”

Sigh. It’s nice to have all those connections, but sometimes it would hurt a whole lot less if I didn’t.

Recently I came across this theme at twofus_1  and have been thinking about it ever since. Do you have a lot of theories? I didn't think I did, but am finding that to be quite erroneous thinking.

Simple example: today as I was contemplating the last two really good days with my toddler I decided it must be because we've been on a routine lately, no trips, no major changes, etc. AHHH...a theory!! That all may be true, but why must I analyze, break it down, figure it out instead of just enjoying my two really, really good days with my 2 1/2 year old? If we had just come home from a trip I would probably say "wow, he's good 'cause he's so glad to be back home".

So why do we do it? I think I do it because I dislike mystery, love management (makes me feel in control, if I get this figured out then I can make it happen again.) That's a love/hate thing though, because it seldom works the second time and then I get frustrated and out of sorts and have really bad days.

I think ditching all my theories and living in the TRUTH of each moment would make for freedom. Think Jesus knew what He was talking about when He said "the truth shall make you FREE"? Just imagine life if He would have said, "your theories will set you free".