Thirty years ago my husband and I packed our belongings in Athens, GA and headed to the delightful and beautiful shoreline of Niantic, CT. Our first son, Stefan, was barely a year old so we were exhausted new parents moving to a rental home with a baby. Within a month or so hurricane Bob hit the East Coast with a vengeance, and we were totally unprepared for its wild and scary force of madness. For a few days straight the storm raged with its gale force winds and torrents of rain which caused flooding in many areas of the state. Power was interrupted for days, and I remember crying to my husband that I didn't like our new residence and wished we were back in GA. What a crazy beginning to a new chapter of our lives that felt awkward and difficult at best.
We survived the move and the mayhem of the hurricane and eventually settled into our new rental home. I stayed home with our son, and my husband started his new job with Pfizer. We found our new pace and rhythm (as much as one can with a toddler) and started making friends. I took our son to community classes for moms and their toddlers which became a vehicle for finding my circle of support that became a lifeline. I will be forever grateful for those kind and generous friends.
We stayed in our rental for close to a year and then found our current home in which we have lived for thirty years. When we moved, I was pregnant and about to give birth to our second son. Life soon became VERY busy as we had four boys within five and a half years. I look back on those days now, and it all seems to be a blur. Birthday parties were the best because we not only had the happy voices of our kiddos but also many other young ones of our friends. Michael and I somehow possessed the energy needed to keep afloat which is still a mystery to us!
This home has been well lived in, and it has seen much joy and sorrow, sickness and health, and make-overs both inside and out. It has been a blessing we could have never imagined. Our family has formed lasting and meaningful friendships through the community, school, and church.
Fast forward to a few days ago and our shoreline area was in the eye of hurricane Henri. Meteorologists stated that we hadn't seen this bad of a storm since hurricane Bob thirty years ago. We suddenly realized that was the exact storm which blew us in to CT! Good heavens---was this a sign showing us we are to blow out of this state and head to PA? Maybe so.
Happy and grateful to report that the storm turned and weakened from what was originally predicted for this particular region of the state so we were spared any real damage. No flooding or high winds destroyed property or put anyone in harm's way. Praise God. It did not feel like the experience of Bob, but emotionally it was a tad bit unsettling.
We are months away from leaving this home in CT, but the planning of building another home while packing and preparing to sell this one is all consuming. The days are full of busy agendas, but having a new focus is exciting. Thirty years ago we were busy raising children and building our lives as a young family. Today we are writing a new chapter which will be in PA where we began our married journey. Our hearts are happy as we will be arriving full circle in less than a year.
Well, we have not "blown out" yet, so while we remain here in our lovely home we plan to make the most of our time visiting with friends and exploring different areas of the state we have never been. My feet will continue to remain in the sand until someone whisks me away to the mountains and farms of PA. For now, my heart is honoring the special space of not yet.
