Six short weeks after giving birth to Talmage Scott, James graduated from BYU, I quit my job and we moved to California. Moving, it seems, is our family's main hobby and our boy Talmage is a bonafide expert. He has found a home in 6 different apartments around the world, and has traveled to more places in his first 4 years than I did in my first 20.
I love meeting new people, and living in new places, but let's be honest, moving every 9 months has its disadvantages. The biggest issue with moving all. the. time. is the friend factor--it's hard to build a support system (or weasel your way into a group of friends) in a place you, and they, know you'll only live temporarily. It has the potential to be very lonely, especially when your husband is as busy as mine always seems to be.
When we moved to England, I was worried that I wouldn't make any friends (talk about junior high fears all over again) and that I would be miserably lonely for the duration of the year. But that deep loneliness never came. I quickly learned that I had a friend who adored me almost as much as I adored him. I had a friend that would accompany me to any event, who loved to take long walks while holding my hand, who laughed at my jokes and listened to my stories. This friend followed me around the house, begged me to read him stories and hugged me at just the right moments. He even loved pajama parties and pillow talk. This friend helped us meet new friends, and charmed everyone in sight. And even when he was a punk, at least he was a punk I could claim!
As we moved to New York, Palo Alto and Los Angeles, I had the same experience and I felt the same way--grateful. Talmage has made my life so much sweeter and fuller, and definitely less boring! He came at just the right time, and Heavenly Father sent him perfectly-packaged in a strong little body just for me. Sometimes it's a great and difficult job to be this firecracker's Mom. But being his friend? That's easy.
It's been four years since we moved to England, and I now know what to expect with our next big move back to New York. But Talmage-boy is beyond worried about leaving his home, his friends and his beloved courtyard. He cries every time we talk about it, and no matter how cool Times Square's Lego World is, he's convinced that we are going to be absolutely miserable. The transition is not going to be easy--Stanford has been paradise for our little family--but I know that we will find a home wherever we go. So now I'm trying to teach him, just as he taught me, that he'll always have a friend, he'll always be safe, and that I'll always be there for him. Wish me luck!
And happy birthday wishes to you my little big-boy.
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