Hello 2011
Well we are almost a full month into 2011 and I have yet to write an entry and boy have I heard about it…which I guess is a good thing. The fact that people want to know what is going on with me and the girls is very flattering and the interest and concern people express by sending me emails is very…well cool.
Okay, here it goes…2011…and honestly I have a ton of stuff to write about.
I have made some serious, big, huge, monumental…pick a word and insert here…decisions in the past month. These may come as a complete surprise to some of you, but to others it will hopefully come across as a natural progression.
Decision 1 – Selling the House
I have decided to put my house on the market. Believe me deciding to sell my house was very difficult for me. I love my house, I mean absolutely love it. I love the wide open floor plan, the layout, the room sizes, the finished game room, the deck, the neighbors and most of all the spectacular view. A house search is never easy. So many places look great on paper then you see it in person and it’s completely different. It took me over 6 months to find a house the last time. I hope it doesn’t take that long this time.
Why Now
Well, honestly the reasons are many…Abbie doesn’t like going into the office because that is where Jen’s hospice bed was and that’s where Jen passed away. I have to admit that sometimes I catch myself not wanting to go in there either. Jen’s personal touches and decorations are everywhere and that is not a bad thing, it just makes it hard sometimes on all of us.
This will be hard for many to understand, but it’s time to go…it’s time to move on…it’s time to find a new beginning. Now, keep in mind that the thought of moving makes my stomach turn. I hate moving…HATE IT!!! I have accumulated so much stuff and it seriously took us over 2 years before the last box was officially unpacked. I am NOT looking to packing and moving, but it needs to happen for ALL of us.
Decision 2 – Getting Married
This will come as a shock to some of you, but I am getting married. The person whom I have been dating for the past 6 months is someone who I have known for 5 years. It’s also someone the girls have knows for 5 years and who is also one of my best and closest friends. It feels awesome to be happy…it really does.
She loves me and the girls and it has been great for all of us. Whenever she comes over the excitement and joy on the girls faces is amazing to see. I can be the best Dad in the world but there are just certain things that I can’t give to the girls. The pure happiness, comfort, confidence and encouragement they receive from a positive and loving woman is one of them.
That being said…I am also totally smitten. When I’m around this person, well…I just want to be a better person. She brings out the best in me and it feels really, really good. I can only imagine what some people will think and say when they read this…to that all I can say it this. When I told another one of my best friends what I was thinking. He said to me that I know that you (meaning me) don’t do anything unless you have thought about it, rethought about it and considered all the variables multiple times.
I like to think I have…and I am not making light of the situation either. Life is short…too short…and I am very happy…she makes me extremely happy…and to be honest it’s a great feeling.
We have challenges ahead…selling the house…buying a house for all of us, the girls changing schools…no one said it would be easy…but when is life ever easy…I have more to write…but that is for another entry….
That is what we all should want, to be around/with people who make us better ourselves. Congrats again.
ReplyDeleteAs for moving, I am totally with you. I would seriously rather go through labor again, and I did mine drug-free and the pain was awful. But that is how much I hate moving.
Best of luck and keep us posted! :-)
I think these are all positive things - necessary passages. I know others in situations similar to yours, and these are healing things. You have a right to be happy, and you are clearly thinking of your daughters too. It seems like your Jen would approve.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong with you moving on... your wife will always be in your heart and will always be your true love. But that doesn't mean that you can't find love for someone else. God gave us big hearts so that even when our heart breaks, there is still room for it to heal and welcome someone else into it... I know it must be hard in many ways to move on, but I am sure your wife would want you to be happy, and for your girls to be happy, too.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled for you - God bless and best wishes!!
January is just flying by! I’m catching up on my writing as well. Just wanted to say again, many congratulations to you both! What a blessing it is that you have found this happiness in each other. Sending you my love and best wishes!
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your blog today and felt the need to comment:
ReplyDeleteI'm 21 years old, female, and was raised by a single father after my mother, his wife, died of breast cancer when I was 8 (my brother was 11).
My father just remarried last summer (this involved serious star alignment as she randomly moved to our town from across the country a month before they met at a mutual friend's gathering).
And from the perspective of the child, I was just as concerned about his happiness as he was about mine.
It may be your job as a father, but it's still a noble thing you are doing raising your daughters. I know the struggle my own family went through and I know that we became so connected that the happiness one of us felt was the happiness that we all felt.
My dad is (as I'm sure you are) a family man. Before my mother died, she knew my father would one day remarry because that's who he is, a loving and giving man. He wants to care for and provide for a family, and when he met Anne (my stepmother) it was an undeniably perfect match.
The fact that your stars are aligning this early is truly a gift. To find someone who makes you happy again, someone your girls love is absolutely wonderful and I wish the four of you all the happiness in the world!
The struggle my family went through has been both a hardship and a blessing. We've grown so much together and I am so proud of both my brother for the man he has become and my father for the man he has always been.
I guess I'm just trying to say that if you think it's the right decision for you and your girls, then it is. And you're doing a great job even just by being there for them, they're really lucky to have a dad like you!
Keep on keepin' on,
all the best,
Michele