So long, farewell, I need to say adieu

I had foreseen this post as being full of remorse and blubbery with tears. But I started to think about why it should be that way. My entire life my family's best friends would move away from us. I remember when the Lundys moved to Dallas, and then Nashville. The Eskews moved from across the street to Austin. Joyce Furer moved to New Jersey. The Blevins were never close - from California, to Atlanta, Destin, and now Atlanta again. The Holoubeks moved to Georgia and then Iowa. People just don't like to stay around us. Not really, but the Lord has always gently taken our loved ones away.

And then I got married and was the one moving away for 5 years. I would come and go, only having enough time each off-season to say hello and then turn around and hug everyone's necks as we planned to leave again.

So it's weird to have the tables turned. My BFF, Wendi, and her fellas have gone off and moved to Doha, Qatar. Ashley posted a map here about where exactly this place is. What it is is a chance to follow the Lord's Will and be obedient to His calling. And what a treasure to be able to watch from an ocean away as he shapes this family into something different, something better.

And this isn't goodbye. My mom would never say goodbye as all our buddies moved away. And as I looked at the ground and wouldn't make eye contact (for fear of breaking down in tears), I told Wendi I would see her in 6 weeks. They are coming back for Christmas, so it will be like they never left! It's not like she's dying. She's moving somewhere else.

In a world of Skype, email, blogs, Facebook (I've yet to become victim), and free nationwide calling, I know that this move will not alter our friendship. Yes, it will be hard to go from talking everyday, if not multiple times a day, with the lovely 9 hour time difference. But it will make those times we get to catch up that much sweeter.

So enough sap. Just pray for this special family as they get settled into their new life.