Letting Them Lead
Off they go!
I’m still trying to figure out so many things about this journey- including how to blog, which I’ve never done. More than one person has suggested that this will eventually be a book- I’m not willing to commit to that or to updating this on any regular schedule. But I am at least going to commit to mastering the mechanics. I’m also going to commit to being real about what’s working and not. Part of why this is a closed site and not social media is because we want that freedom.
We got to the airport with plenty of time (by our standards), but I found myself impatient and short with Paul. He was not dawdling exactly, but definitely not moving with the speed I felt like our situation should inspire. And then I was irritated with myself for being irritated - isn’t the whole point of this to relax and let things unfold at their own pace?
Our departure was controlled chaos, with a cleaning person still in the house, carpet cleaners arriving as we left, a repair person for the bathroom door (which has needed repair for 2 years, so naturally it only works on the actual day we’re leaving, and renters (nicely) asking when they could move in, a Goodwill run in the works, and food that needed to not be in the house.
Wonderful well-wishers were sending us texts, which mean that at the departure gate in Louisville, both Theresa and I were on our phones trying to manage it all, which meant we weren’t full present with our kids as we left, except to take a quick picture of us all, so we could quickly respond to people that we were leaving. Not a good start.
But after a quick flight to O’Hare, and a couple of deep breaths, it began to sink in that we had done it. We had actually left. Someone else was living in our house. We were committed.
When we got the bags from gate check, I got a text telling us our next gate. Without hesitation, Paul and Sophia set out in the right direction, fearlessly navigating us through the crowds. I
