RIP ( _ _ _) _ _ _-_ _ _ _ Yes, they texted an RIP for the family phone number that's been apart of their lives for almost three decades. We dumped the landline like so many families have done recently. The connection kept breaking down, and finally we made the cost-saving decision.
Who would think that getting rid of a 30-year phone number would be emotional, but it has been. Why? Mainly because it is the start of a series of rather simple, but dramatic, changes signaling that our home is no longer a home with young children, but instead a home for parents of young adults. There will be more changes to come including cleaning out the drawers filled with old sports shirts, keeping only the best children's books for the days when we have grandchildren, and paring down the shelves to salvage only what we want and need most. A house for two needs a lot less than a house for five including active children.
This change is different from the changes before, changes that signaled a move from high school to college, college to work, work to grad school, grad school to marriage, an apartment to this home and two people to five people. Those changes, like a rock skipping over the water were staccato changes that occurred at regular intervals, but this change is one that marks the longest period in my life--almost thirty years in the same home raising children and working at a same job. The other longest period lasted 18 years from birth until I left for college. The years in between this home and that home were the exciting, busy years of change and growth I mention above.
So now lies many questions that we can think about, but not answer for sure since we don't always know what's on the horizon, questions like these:
Who would think that getting rid of a 30-year phone number would be emotional, but it has been. Why? Mainly because it is the start of a series of rather simple, but dramatic, changes signaling that our home is no longer a home with young children, but instead a home for parents of young adults. There will be more changes to come including cleaning out the drawers filled with old sports shirts, keeping only the best children's books for the days when we have grandchildren, and paring down the shelves to salvage only what we want and need most. A house for two needs a lot less than a house for five including active children.
This change is different from the changes before, changes that signaled a move from high school to college, college to work, work to grad school, grad school to marriage, an apartment to this home and two people to five people. Those changes, like a rock skipping over the water were staccato changes that occurred at regular intervals, but this change is one that marks the longest period in my life--almost thirty years in the same home raising children and working at a same job. The other longest period lasted 18 years from birth until I left for college. The years in between this home and that home were the exciting, busy years of change and growth I mention above.
So now lies many questions that we can think about, but not answer for sure since we don't always know what's on the horizon, questions like these:
- Will we live out our days in this home or move somewhere new?
- What will our next chapter be like--what will we invest our limited time, dollars, and energy into?
- What new adventures, pastimes, and contribution will we engage in?
- How will we make the most of this passage?
As I think about this today, I recognize that there are some knowns--objectives we'll certainly strive for including these long held beliefs and events:
- family vacations
- family celebrations
- learning
- contributing
- healthy choices
While I know that leaving this home will be a lot harder than getting rid of a long-held phone number, I find myself desiring a place where I can easily chase grandchildren in the backyard, plant a simple garden, and walk to a waterway, library, coffee shop, and bus/train terminal. I don't really want, and can't afford it anyways, a grand home, but instead a simple small space that's easy and affordable to care for. If I have extra dollars, I'll spend them on a nice vacation rental for the larger family now and then.
Leaving work when the time comes will be both welcome and challenging. It will be the longest investment in any one place I've made in my entire life with the exception of the investment and time I've spent with my parents and siblings who have known me all or most of my life.
We can't have it all and that's why we need to choose wisely when it comes to the people we spend time with, the places we live, the work we do, and the investments of energy, time, and dollars we make. We want our lives to matter and we want our lives to be a joyful as they can be.
Who would have known that eliminating the landline would evoke such deep thought and emotion? Yet it has, and fortunately that's helped me to think more about the new path ahead.