Several years into developing a professional relationship with an organization I greatly respect, a dream job finally opened up and I was asked to interview for the position! The job description read as if it was personally written for my credentials and work experience. I made it through 2 phone interviews, and was asked to fly down to the organization for an in person interview this week. Sadly, for me, I declined. Fly down= the job is out-of-state.
(I love my current job as a clinical therapist, but as I’ve written in earlier posts, I’m unsettled wondering if there is more I am meant to be doing…..)
I moved a lot as a child. As an adult, I understand and love my parents for continuously striving to better our lives with the advancement of my Dad’s career. As a child, I hated it. I hated being the new kid in a school. I hated feeling like an outsider. I hated feeling out-of-place.
When I met my husband, one of the things I liked most about his life story was his living in the same city his entire childhood. He had stories of the neighborhood kids, of the parks around town, of seeing his city grow and evolve as he did. We consciously decided to settle in the city he grew up in once we were married, and agreed in the importance of community for our children.
In choosing to live here, our house is smaller than we might like. I don’t mind. Community is priceless. We have sacrificed for our children to go to a small Catholic school…..when I was barely out of graduate school and making little money, when my hours/pay were cut at my former job, and when I changed jobs to better meet the needs of my family….somehow we found the money to send our kids to the school- to be in the community. I don’t mind the sacrifices. Community is priceless.
I heard this song recently….it made me think of why I want my kids to have the experience of community….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQYNM6SjD_o
I don’t have “1” house filled with my childhood memories. I have scattered pictures of this house and that house and this city and that city. When I’ve been lost and considering what path to take in life, I have often wished I had that place to visit to connect with that sense of comfort and support we have as a child. Yes, even as an adult, I sometimes wish I had that. Does that make sense?
Listening to the song made me think, as a parent, it isn’t about my wants and my needs that matter as much as knowing what my kids need. As they get older, I’m reminded more of the relevance of that early decision to have “community” for our children and my role in remaining steadfast in that early vision.
So maybe I need to focus more on finding ways to be peaceful and content in where I am and stop worrying about my path and let it unfold as it’s meant to be?
“A man (or woman) travels the world over in search of what he (or she) needs and returns home to find it.” George A. Moore.
I want that for my kids. I want them to know no matter what, they can always come home. I want them to know that even if I don’t always have all the answers, and Wow! how I so often don’t! May they find peace in knowing they can come home and I’ll be here to listen and surround them in love while they’re looking for their own path in life……
I was side tracked for a few moments…….
peaceinthejourney 