A ReASon, A SEaSon, oR A LiFEtimE!

So here I sit in the wee hours of the morning (5:44 to be exact) in total silence as the rest of my family continues to slumber, alone with my thoughts. I had trouble getting to sleep last night and felt so compelled to get up and journal my thoughts then, but couldn't pry myself from my cozy bed, despite the fact that I was wide awake!

I have so much on my mind, so much to say. Last night I went to dinner with a group of girls I have come to know and love dearly as we celebrated the upcoming move of our dear friend, Mistie. It was such a bittersweet evening for me...I am beyond happy for her that she has the opportunity to move back home, to be closer to the friends and family that she left behind when she moved to Arizona...but the other part of me, the selfish part, is so, so sad. As I type this now, the tears are flowing freely down my cheeks. Mistie was my first friend here, the one I found comfort and hope in after uprooting my own family and moving to the desert from the midwest. She was at the very first playdate I attended and we clicked instantly. She was fairly new to the area as well and we had (and still do!) so much in common. We are the same age. She has a little boy right around Huntler's age and a daughter that is close to Gentry's age! How perfect to meet someone a world away from everything I called home that had so much in common with me! It must be an answer to my prayers!

That was nearly a year and a half ago and now the time is coming to tell Mistie and her family good bye! I know it isn't forever...we'll stay in touch, but that doesn't make it any easier, ya know? And I think I am taking this especially hard because it is bringing back SO many vivid memories of our last night at our beloved home in Kansas. I remember so clearly how it felt as we walked through our home, the place we brought our babies home to and created COUNTLESS wonderful memories, for the last time. I can remember the feelings I felt as I looked into those empty rooms and all the love and time spent painting them just so and the heart that went into making that house a home, our home.

But most of all I remember what it was like as we made that short journey from our dear, dear friends (Britton and Lisa) home back to ours after saying our final goodbyes. I remember sobbing...it is so hard to say goodbye to those you love the most. And although you know it isn't forever, you also know that things will never be the same. My mom left a comment a few days ago about how even though we miss our life in Kansas, we took with us those things which were most important...our friendships. And ya know what, she is right! If anything, I am even closer to Lisa now, despite the many miles that separate us! It is no secret that I don't love Arizona and I am waiting for the day when we are able to make our journey home, but I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that I have grown as a person in ways unimaginable and this move has taught me more than I can even begin to share in one posting!

That being said, Mistie, I know that as the big moving day creeps closer and closer for you, your days will continue to get more and more emotional. I hope the excitement of going home carries you through those rough times and you leave here knowing what an impact you have made and how much you will truly be missed...not only by me, but by many others as well! I hope you take your memories of your time here with you and cherish those...and know that you are loved and thought about often. You are a wonderful person, a "lifetimer" (see the poem below) and I am so grateful to call you my friend!

The last few days I have been trying desperately to remember the name of this poem...and for some reason that I will probably never understand, it popped into my mind last night! I have received it in e-mails several times and have always liked it...I couldn't think of a more perfect time to share...

Reason, Season or Lifetime

By: Brian A. "Drew" Chalker

What are you??? Are you a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?

Pay attention to what you read. After you read this,  you will know the reason it was sent to you! People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON...it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need had been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.

Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life!