Monday, May 23, 2011

The Simple Life

Does it exist?

I am constantly craving the simple life.  I want to know my neighbors...all of them.  Not just the one to the right of us.  I want to live in a community.  I want to live in an area that shares my religious beliefs and political beliefs. Here, we are in the minority on both of those.  I am tired of people actually laughing in my face because they think I am joking when I tell them I have been to Bible study.  This is my reality and not one I want my kids raised in.

My Mom's side of the family is all from Waco, Texas and I have been surrounded by the Southern tongue forever!  My Grandma who has lived her for at least 55yrs, STILL has an accent as thick as molasses and it is music to my ears.  There is a lot to be said for the way people act in the South.  People are much more friendly there and southern charm still exists!

My heart really craves the South.  I need to be there.  I need to raise my children there.  I need the slower pace.  There are so many pro's for my family moving, but with pro's, comes the con's.

My parents and my husband's parents are all here.  That would mean that my kids would not get to see them on the regular basis that they do now.  I know that the relationships that have been formed between my parents and my children would stay sound.  I have no doubt about that and my parents would make sure of it!  It just means that the frequency of the visits would be spread out. 

But as a woman, who was once a child, I will always need my mommy.  There I said it aloud.  I will miss my parents beyond words.  I am extremely close to my mom & dad and I'm not sure my anxiety could handle being across the country from them :(  But, I am an adult now (begrudgingly so) and I need to do what's best for my family and I do believe that this would be the right decision. 

My mom has always said that I should have been born in the 50's, and I really do think she is right!  I want to stay home with my kids.  I want to volunteer at worthy causes and feel like I am giving something back to my community. 

But most of all, I want to feel like I am home.  And I don't not feel that now. 

Tell me, where do you live and do you like it?  Does it feel like home?  Are you considering a move?

1 comment:

Jenny said...

You've been a blogging fool! I have to think and comment and catch up.

I don't feel home, because I am not AT home.

I'm in Portland, Oregon, and I do love it here. But I also crave the town of 1100 where I grew up that rallied around my family when we had a house fire, where I could walk to school and walk home at 8pm in the dark after play practice.

I miss the freedom I had as a kid that I can't give my own kids because of the city-life fears. Real or imagined.

But I also don't want to live somewhere rural-that is a 6 hr drive to the nearest large airport.

Pros and Cons. You named it.

Our parents won't be around forever. As sad as it is to say. And if you ARE considering more children, you need the network you have now. Maybe you have to make some changes, but maybe they could be less than 1000s of miles away? Find some middle ground?

I can't believe someone would laugh about Bible study. Wow. I'm jealous of those who can find the time to go to Bible study AND I am elated when I go myself. :)