Carolina Kids

I used to come to this track to work off stress after long hours at work or studying. Later, I walked miles and miles around it and up and down these steps to try to get rid of that baby-Sophie weight. I especially loved being here in the spring and fall.

But I don't remember it being this much fun.

Why are we here?

I've asked myself this question many times over the past 2 years.

It really was a fluke that we ended up moving to North Carolina. Back to Chapel Hill, which we had left years ago after grad school.

It wasn't in The Plan.

After all, who in their right mind moves back to the place that they were so glad to leave?

Not that it wasn't a nice place to live back then.

It was. We loved it and have wonderful memories. But we thought it was behind us.

But back then was a different time.

It was a time of being newlyweds.
Of learning who we were and how we fit together. Of being a poor little student family.
Of taking on student debt

Of uncertainty about the future.
Of memories...

When we left Chapel Hill, it was to embark on a new and bright future, full of promise and excitement...

a new job, a new state, a new baby on the way, buying a home, . . . so many possibilities.

Life was good. Things changed. Our family grew. More happy memories.

Then all at once, several different events aligned to bring us back to Chapel Hill.

Back to the beginning.

I resisted, procrastinated, made excuses, gave in:

"OK, but no longer than necessary."

It felt like starting over.
A weird kind of deja vu.
The same, but not.
Our old friends were gone.
We were different.

The places we had lived and visited looked odd...not quite as I remembered them. It's only temporary, I thought.

Two years later, I watched my kids playing together in the sand, racing each other around the track and thought about our lives here. They are happy here. They have friends, good schools, a safe, quiet neighborhood with wildlife to study, an awesome pool, and trails to roam, and grandparents nearby. This is a good place to grow up.

Mat has a good job. Our house is too small and older than I would like. It keeps us warm and dry, and it's almost paid for...

For many reasons, including new, difficult challenges that He knew we would face, and also for days like this one, I know, without a doubt, that the Lord, in his wisdom and love for us, has led us to the place we need to be. At the time we need to be here. We're home.