My inlaws left today and I'm a little sad about it all - they were incredibly helpful and loving and my children are crazy about them...but they live eight hours away from us, and we live a pastor's schedule (which, by the way, only appears to be flexible on the outside and is really very very weird and confined) and so our chances to be with each other are limited. Still, I'm happy it's only eight hours now instead of the twelve that used to separate us.
Having them leave, and with them my only chance for frequent help with the dishes and extra story-telling for the children, was a downer, I'm not gonna lie. But there's a lot of stuff in every family's life that's hard - the arrivals and departures, the daily stresses and the chores and whatever. It's hard, this life thing. And yet, there's a lesson to learn in all of that; there's something to take away from it that helps you in the making of a home:
Taking Joy In The Journey
I'm really not the best person to give any sort of insight into this, since I'm so new at it myself, but ultimately I think that gratitude, faith, loving gestures; these all equal a better life, a happier life. I think that finding joy somehow in the ordinary, in the long days, that's the answer to a lot of our questions. I hope I get better at it.
I feel this, Amy. I've been there. And I think you're bang on about taking joy in the journey. Despite the weird schedule, I hope it will work out for you guys to come for a visit with the in-laws sometimes. And then you can visit us (and several others, I'm sure) as well!
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