Telling our family and friends particularly our three kids of our life change decision was not something we approached lightly. Think of times when someone dropped a bombshell on you. Was it a valued member of your staff announcing they were moving on to another job, a family member joining the military or deciding to end a long marriage? Calculated life changes come in all forms. The first thing that comes to mind when someone shares this kind of news is the question, “Have you thought this through?” It’s a valid question and one that often goes unanswered in detail. We are forced to believe them when they simply say “yes, of course” often with a tone of indignation. And the hand wringing begins as we wonder if they have truly considered the consequences, good and bad, of the decision they have made, particularly when their decision effects the way we fit into their life. Everyone can recall a conversation like this with someone they care about and the various outcomes that resulted.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when you share this kind of news is to be ready to answer all the questions and readily share your thought processes, planning and most importantly your Plan B. In our situation, we were fortunate to have all three kids living within 70 miles of us. That factor also created one of the biggest challenges for us. Leaving them 5 months out of the year. Some families are already separated by miles, so the dynamics are different when it comes to this kind of news.
It was nearly impossible to get the three kids together at the same time without the chaos of one of our large family gatherings taking place, so we decided to go see each one independently so they could ask the questions they wanted and we could have a meaningful conversation. With a large reunion planned in the next few weeks we needed to have these conversations before everyone came to Williams and saw the Real Estate sign in the front yard.
We went to see each of the kids and Champ’s brother Steve and laid out the news and the plan. They all had a different reaction and concerns, that we talked through. Generally, the reaction was one of support and given our passion for camping and the fact that we had traded the year before for an even larger 5th Wheel, none of them was particularly surprised. It took some time for the reality to sink in. It got real for the kids when we had them go through the house and take the things that they wanted for themselves. I had ideas of things that I wanted each of them to have, but you never know what invokes memories that are unique to each child, so we let them have at it. Our oldest son stated the process felt like a funeral. It was, definitely, the end of a way of life for them in terms of the family dynamics and our central role as the hub around which the kids interacted together. In his defense, this dynamic most commonly does change with the death of one’s parents. Instead, it was like a birth for us beginning a new chapter of life.
Our specific plan includes returning to central Iowa each year to work at the campgrounds where we will be close to everyone we know and have more opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Our destination, each winter, will be decided from year to year. One of the biggest reasons we went this route rather than buy a property in the south is our desire to see different places. I hope to go somewhere different each winter and have our volunteer gig in central Iowa be the constant.
With the news out, the next 6 months went by like a flash. The house sold quickly and well, the sale of our worldly possesions couldn’t have gone better. And some of my most cherished possessions ended up in the hands of people I knew, so even though they weren’t mine any longer, they weren’t completely removed from my life.
On November 15th we headed to Central Texas to spend 6 weeks at a privately owned RV Park in Kerrville to fill in time before we reported to our first official volunteer ‘job’ at Balcones Canyonlands Wildlife Refuge near Lago Vista. Our transition, despite a couple of challenges not even worthy of mentioning, has exceed our expectations. In the Amos Lee song, Windows Are Rolled Down, the lyric asks, “Is it what, you dreamed it be?” https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS648US649&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=windows%20are%20rolled%20down
The answer is an enthusiastic yes!
Stay tuned for the stories of our first volunteer gig at the Refuge!
Until next time...
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