Full circle

 

About a year ago I was sitting on a plane as well.  I was writing ✍️ a blog while on my ✈️ to California. 

 Today I am happily anticipating finishing the last leg of my flight from Tampa to Manhattan,  Kansas. 

Let me tell you one thing: Long distance ANYTHING is NOT fun. In this case the distance between me and my children.  One in Kansas, one in Colorado.  Now if I had $$ coming out of my rear end, I'd be seeing them all the time. The bitter reality speaks its own volume.  We rely on video calls instead.  

Do you ever make a decision, think it's the best,  the wisest and then figure out just how dumb your great decision really was? Look no farther.  Joe and I had the conversation that ended up being the typical "we should have…." monolog. Frustrated,  we came to realize that our super wise decision is now costing us a whole lot of money we don't really have. This is the consequence of our actions. 

At this point you are probably asking, what the heck is Ulrike talking about? Cut to the chase, lady! Alright, ….  alright 👍. 

To explain it in few words (or a lot): 

When you have gotten rid of almost all your belongings and then there's the remnants that didn't find a new owner: Tax records,  business documents,  our children's childhood documented on home videos. And a few items that you feel you need to hold on to, just because. 

Now it's time to retrieve said pile that's been taking up space in our daughter's attic. I am giving myself a week.  To visit, catch up, sort, make piles:

1. Keep

2. Sell

3. Distribute between the kids 

4. Donate what doesn't fit into before mentioned categories. 

6 days of revisiting memories of our past life.

I am not sad. I see this as an early Christmas present 🎁 to myself. I get to open all these boxes. One surprise after another. And maybe I'll have a little helper to stir things up.  My beautiful adventurous grandson, Finley.  

I remember back in 2019. How eager Joe and I were to minimize, to shed all this extra weight. Years of stuff that we felt we needed.  Isn't that why we hold on to things? Because we "need" them. Guess what?  I haven't seen what's up in that attic in years. Doesn't that mean it no longer holds a value? I am anticipating a left brain, right brain tug-of-war.  And you'll be the first to hear who wins!

But that's not all. The Farmhouse I am visiting has been home to my daughter and husband for the last 3 years.  It's where we parked our home on wheels for 3 weeks, while anticipating the birth of our grandbaby.  It's where I watched MY child become a mother and my son-in-law become a dad. It's where my daughter continued the family love for chickens and turned into a chicken expert,  to my surprise and admiration! That house, where they had a beautiful summer wedding under that big old tree, surrounded by family and friends.  

It'll be the last time I get to see this place. You see, Colorado is calling their name. Tabea, Blaine and Finley will be packing up their own belongings before too long.

 That quaint house, surrounded by farmland and cows will be traded for the all too familiar, Rocky Mountains. 

I remember walks on the abundance of dirt roads. Really,  there wasn't much else to do. You gotta make the best of what's presented to you.  So when I visited before, I chose to go out and explore.  Besides talking to a few cows here and there, that was the extent of my entertainment.  

And you know what?  I enjoyed every minute of it.

Observing Tabea and Blaine,  seeing how resilient they've become, is quite eye-opening.  I remember when I was their age, I was the German disco queen.  Dancing the night away. Weekend after weekend, and having a blast. Staying out all night.  Just to do it all over again the next weekend.  Who is this person, at least 50 percent of me created?  My daughter. Nope, no new generation of dancing queen on the horizon here.  Instead a hardworking chicken and little person mama, that has managed to make a life for herself and her little family in Kansas farm country.  

So yeah.  When I'll be going through the boxes,  I'll be thinking of this. And then some.

The pilot just announced we are preparing for landing.  Kansas, here I come.