It's been one month since we've been living with my parents, and Gene and I both have been struck by what a blessing it is to do life intimately with extended family. This is somewhat of a surprise, even though we both love and enjoy my family.
As a single, I particularly liked living alone, and once married, I continued to value our own space, our own schedule, our own rituals. The addition of Olivia didn't change that. I like my stuff and to create my own environs. I love order and to be queen of my domain.
I moved to Royse City thinking of it as a temporary hardship, a sojourn, a loss of indendence and autonomy. After all, no matter how great one's parents are, who wants to live with them as an adult?? Well, as it turns out, Gene and I might. After a few weeks we stopped feeling like guests and more like this is our home, albeit a temporary one.
Our weekly existence is a dance of teamwork, family meals, shared laughter, group prayer and late night chats. Gene and my mom connect at the crack of dawn over their devotions; Olivia and I have the pleasure of Jack's company throughout the day as he comes in and out from roofing jobs; my mom and I take turns cooking and cleaning; Gene pitches in with yardwork and feeding the animals; my sister and I work out together and devise weight-loss schemes; Gene and Elisabeth shoot BB guns. It's good stuff.
I can see why most people for most of history have lived in extended families. It works. The group effort is really beautiful, and fun. At least it is for us. It helps to have really cool parents, one of whom is a massage therapist. :)
At any rate, we are starting to grieve the reality of soon returning to island living. We will miss my family even more dearly now, and I think be permanently changed for the experience. I'm very hopeful that God will provide us with a tight network wherever He moves us. I suspect part of the reason we're here is to birth the desire.
"One can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Ecclesiastes 4:12
2 comments:
sara,
glad you three are enjoying temporary life with your family. sounds like fun to me! i love seeing those pics of precious olivia. i look forward to hearing more about staten island job. love, carrie
Island living is not what it is cracked up to be. Yet as a country we promote and applaud it. How strange, in the end we all are isolated, overworked, lonely and without community. Next we begin to try to create community in different ways. We have missed something here. I think of the gift it is to share the family meals, late night talks, cooking and cleaning and the yard work and most of all sitting in the dark watching the sun come up, listening to Olivia talking to jesus when she awakes. There is nothing sweeter. the dq
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