Living as a member of my family is never boring.
Even during the times when life has been so many things we don't want it to be, boring has not been one of them.
Keeping up with the trend, changes - big ones - are moving into the Harmon Household. Ones so big that I guess I should say Harmon HouseholdS.
As my brain, eyes, and fingers are working in conjunction to type this, the five of us have one more day of living together in this house where we all currently sit (or lie down, as I think I'm the only one not in bed). !!!
When we moved in here, I published a prediction on this here blog that that move would be the last one we'd make as a whole family. I put that up for the world to see with great trepidation despite my certainty, anticipating that I might have to eat my words some day, like I usually have to do when I fancy myself a fortuneteller. But it turns out I was right!
Starting Friday, my mother and littlest brother will officially be transferring their legal residency to the state of Arkansas, and he will be starting at the local public school on Monday morning! Austyn has only been home schooled to this point, so this is a new adventure for him. Gratefully, he adores adventures. My dad would be accompanying them, but he's still in graduate school, and transferring schools hasn't been feasible. So he will be joining them as soon as he can, while Calyn and I stay here. (Until we feel we need to go somewhere else, that is.)
"Wait a second?" I can hear you asking. "They're doing what? Your parents are living separately? Who does that? And why is Austyn going to school now? If your dad can't transfer and Austyn needs to go public school, why doesn't he just go where he already lives? I don't get it." If you really do want to know the answers to these questions or any others, please ask me. There are reasonable explanations for everything (mostly). But I won't take the time to share them here. What I will say is this:
My family has never let what someone does or might think stop us from doing anything.
We're not so over ourselves that the consideration of such things never enters our minds. It does. We may or may not even mourn our reputations as loons sometimes. But when sacrificing whatever good impression we've made on the world is required for what's important, we'll do it. Cringingly, perhaps, but done all the same.
I'm excited! Each of us are moving into good things that have been long-awaited. But there's a part of me that wants to temper the excitement. "Hey, you, you've lived with your family for 25 years, and now it'll never be the same again. Think about that. And even though that's not necessarily a reason to be sad, you love your family; don't be so eager to get rid of them. Appreciate them while they're here."
Yes. I know. I do appreciate them. Truly. However, life has taught me the beautiful truth that is expressed in Ecclesiastes 3: "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Melancholy though he may have been, Solomon was right. Everything has its time, and everything must end. Once you begin to understand that, you'll see how truly beautiful and right it is. At least I have. I find myself rejoicing at the ends of things just as much as I do at beginnings. But that's another post for another day.
I am truly happy about our new divergent seasons. Our lives will still intertwine. We're too close to stay away for long. But it's good to move forward. The possibilities this new reality has the potential to open up are almost staggering.
The first thing I'm going to do is sleep on the couch. (You can ask me about that one, too.)
Even during the times when life has been so many things we don't want it to be, boring has not been one of them.
Keeping up with the trend, changes - big ones - are moving into the Harmon Household. Ones so big that I guess I should say Harmon HouseholdS.
As my brain, eyes, and fingers are working in conjunction to type this, the five of us have one more day of living together in this house where we all currently sit (or lie down, as I think I'm the only one not in bed). !!!
When we moved in here, I published a prediction on this here blog that that move would be the last one we'd make as a whole family. I put that up for the world to see with great trepidation despite my certainty, anticipating that I might have to eat my words some day, like I usually have to do when I fancy myself a fortuneteller. But it turns out I was right!
Starting Friday, my mother and littlest brother will officially be transferring their legal residency to the state of Arkansas, and he will be starting at the local public school on Monday morning! Austyn has only been home schooled to this point, so this is a new adventure for him. Gratefully, he adores adventures. My dad would be accompanying them, but he's still in graduate school, and transferring schools hasn't been feasible. So he will be joining them as soon as he can, while Calyn and I stay here. (Until we feel we need to go somewhere else, that is.)
"Wait a second?" I can hear you asking. "They're doing what? Your parents are living separately? Who does that? And why is Austyn going to school now? If your dad can't transfer and Austyn needs to go public school, why doesn't he just go where he already lives? I don't get it." If you really do want to know the answers to these questions or any others, please ask me. There are reasonable explanations for everything (mostly). But I won't take the time to share them here. What I will say is this:
My family has never let what someone does or might think stop us from doing anything.
We're not so over ourselves that the consideration of such things never enters our minds. It does. We may or may not even mourn our reputations as loons sometimes. But when sacrificing whatever good impression we've made on the world is required for what's important, we'll do it. Cringingly, perhaps, but done all the same.
I'm excited! Each of us are moving into good things that have been long-awaited. But there's a part of me that wants to temper the excitement. "Hey, you, you've lived with your family for 25 years, and now it'll never be the same again. Think about that. And even though that's not necessarily a reason to be sad, you love your family; don't be so eager to get rid of them. Appreciate them while they're here."
Yes. I know. I do appreciate them. Truly. However, life has taught me the beautiful truth that is expressed in Ecclesiastes 3: "To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Melancholy though he may have been, Solomon was right. Everything has its time, and everything must end. Once you begin to understand that, you'll see how truly beautiful and right it is. At least I have. I find myself rejoicing at the ends of things just as much as I do at beginnings. But that's another post for another day.
I am truly happy about our new divergent seasons. Our lives will still intertwine. We're too close to stay away for long. But it's good to move forward. The possibilities this new reality has the potential to open up are almost staggering.
The first thing I'm going to do is sleep on the couch. (You can ask me about that one, too.)
