Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. "
-JRR Tolkien
Sorry for the nerdy intro, but I recently watched all of the Lord of the Rings films with some friends. I couldn't help it.
Today was my last day of nannying. I've been working for an amazing family for 2 years now, and it truly has been incredible. I've seen one little boy grow from an infant to a toddler and watched as they welcomed another precious boy to the family. I've changed countless of dirty diapers, been covered in spit up, mopped up vomit, and I even once had the opportunity to dispose of a half-eaten squirrel (shout out to the dogs). I have also seen first steps, heard first words, spent way too many hours listening to Raffi, and shared an immeasurable amount of joy and laughter. As I look back on the last two years, I feel remarkably blessed. And very, very thankful.
It was a teary "see you later" today. And really, teary doesn't even begin to describe it. I'm generally not a big crier, but I was an embarassing mess. I know I'm going to see this family again after the summer (assuming we're not raptured at 6PM on 5/21!), and I fully intend to be a part of their lives for a long time (whether they like it or not), but even so I was sad to walk out the door this evening. As I watched them waving to me from the front porch, I couldn't help but think about the first day I met them all. Their son was an only child at the time, and he couldn't even crawl. He mostly just laid on a mat and watched himself in the mirror above his head. Now he's running around, eating solid foods and talking constantly. I remember working so hard to teach him how to blow a kiss and (almost as important) how to do a "Sic 'Em Bears," and now he can do both of those things masterfully. We've been through a lot together, so it's sad to see this chapter of my life ending.
But as hard as it is to finish these pages, I am excited to turn the next one and see what lies ahead.
I already know the basics.
I'm moving to Houston for the summer in about 2 days to work at a foster care agency. But, honestly, I have no idea what to expect. When I stop and think about it (which I generally try not to do), I am a little bit terrified. It's going to be a tough 10 weeks. But at the same time, I am so excited. For the challenges, the stories, the joys, the heartaches, the learning and the love that I will have the opportunity to experience.
Hopefully this will become a journal of sorts for those things. A place for me to write about what I'm doing and learning so that I can share it with you- whoever you may be. So if you ever happen to read this, thank you for walking alongside me as road I'm on once again joins a larger way. I'm looking forward to the adventures it holds.
And whither then? I cannot say.*
*(I'll try to pull the nerd card out a lot less in future posts.)
(Maybe.)
a good start! love the nerdiness.
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