Hello friend! How are things going with you these days? I know that life continues to feel out of sorts for most all of us. Everything we do takes extra steps and extra thinking. I know the “extras” get tiring for us all. I am sorry if you find yourself struggling today. In some strange way, I find comfort in knowing that I am not all alone in my struggles. We are in this together. It may look different for each of us but in a small way we are all connected. Pour your favorite drink, get comfy and let’s connect. I will wait….
Well, we are on week 4 in Cambridge, England. I cannot begin to tell all the tales in this visit so I will try to visit more often. Today I will talk with you about how we are getting along. Our first week here was like being dropped out of a plane in the wilderness to fend for ourselves. Only shortly later did we realize that we had several really sweet people around us to help. We stayed locked away for our 14 very long days of mandatory isolation. I spent most of my time ordering the wrong things from the online grocery and eagerly waiting on the deliveryman to bring my Amazon packages. The fun did not last long. Even though we are making 1100 square feet work quite comfortably now, in the thick of our imprisonment I was not sure we would all make it out alive.
Sipping break…
We got to break out on a wonderful Saturday. We had grand plans. We would quickly shop for school clothes and spend the rest of our time doing some sightseeing. I laugh now! We were in our second store before I lost my mind. I am surprised it took that long. So… American and UK clothes sizes are different. I think I have converted sizes correctly but who knows. The pressure is on and (of course… because of COVID) there is no trying things on. Kids go to school Monday and I am losing it. In the midst of our clothes shopping, Eric has to meet up with a guy to pick up an item he bought online. We decide to plant the kids at a nearby Starbucks for caffeine and babysitting while I shoe-shop for them… without them. It turned out fantastic! I only returned shoes 3 times! But the peace of doing it alone was sooooo worth it.
The next day the hunt for clothes continued. We walked to the end of the earth. Well, almost. Keep in mind we do not have a car and we have yet to buy bikes. The hunt was a small win and I had enough clothes for the kids to start school.
Sunday night we were all a mess. My mom-heart was really hurting. My kids have always been in a small town. The school they left really spoiled us. The staff was amazing. The kids were (for the most part) kind. My kids did not have good friends at home… they had amazing friends. Honestly, I felt very sad and concerned for my kids as they faced this new school in this new town in this new country. I felt like I was sending them into a foreign land to fend for themselves. Due to COVID we cannot even walk into the school. I cried.
They have now completed one whole week and school clothes are under control but my heart is still a bit of a mess. It is different here. It is really hard to explain, but it is. I will not disparage our new culture, but it is not what my kids know. My faith is being stretched and I am definitely having a good lesson in learning to trust God more with my kids, even trusting him with my sweet daughter back home who is newly married and missing her mom. It is so hard. I just want to be there to protect all four of them. But I can’t. So that’s how I am right now, learning that my kids are going to face hard, uncomfortable things and I can’t always step in to be their shield or rescuer. In fact, even if I could, sometimes I shouldn’t. I remember all the things that I personally have learned by doing hard things and I am trying to let go so my kids can also experience the gift of learning in these new, hard times.
So hard.
So don’t mind me if you see me in a corner praying (and crying). I will be OK.
