On Friday, Mom made it to Oklahoma safely. She's exhausted but settling in fairly well.
Me? I feel lonely and haven't accomplished as much as I had hoped.
Back in 2002, Jolene graduated from high school and moved into a group home. I had an "empty nest" in the sense that Jolene wasn't with me 24/7. . .but we still spent every weekend together. Less than a year later, Mom moved out to live with me. For most of the last six years, my life has been full with mother and daughter. And I am ever so thankful that Mom still lives and breathes. . .if only at a distance.
Now I'm alone. No daughter to come visit me. No mother to visit in the rehab center. No funds to make a trip to Oklahoma until I move. The anniversary--one year--looms, as well as Easter and Mother's Day. Our church is holding a ladies' brunch in March. I don't know if I'm brave enough to go, where the presence of all those other mothers and daughters will only accentuate my aloneness.
Okay, for all your spiritual types out there, I am very aware that God is with me. All the time. And without him, I don't know how I would cope.
And I realized that the absence of family in the area makes me that unmarried person Paul talks about, one free to devote herself to the Lord. I made it to Sunday school for the first time since before my surgery. I look forward to choir and writers group. I need the Christian community, now more than ever.
In the meantime, I have an apartment to sort and pack. Extra hours to work, to make up some of the lack between my income and the doubled expenses.
Thanks to all of you for being my friends.
NEWEST RELEASES
WRITER AT WORK!
Darlene Franklin
Darlene Franklin
About Me
- Darlene Franklin
- Oklahoma
- Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin lives in cowboy country—Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the benefit of being the home to her son, his wife, and their four beautiful children. Darlene loves music, needlework, reading and reality tv. She currently resides in a nursing home, which has become a place of blessing. Darlene is the author of twenty-five novels and novellas. She has also written around 250 devotionals and personal experience pieces for various publications, including her soon-to-release book, It Is Well with my Soul. For links to her books and other writing, check out the second page of the blog.
4 comments:
Glad your mom made a safe transition to OK. When are you planning on moving out there? That'll help you when you have your mom, kids, and grandchild to be with. The passage of the seasons of our lives is always a challenge.
Blessings.
Is it okay to tell your plans about the future, darlene? Have those decisions been made. You're packing, so I must have missed it if you've firmly decided to move.
When?
Mom's move means I will too. I expect to move when my lease is up sometime in June. My employer has an office in OKC and my manager has offered to help me find a position there. That's the biggest unanswered question at the moment.
Yes, it's okay to telll my plans. And God has confirmed them over and over again. I have peace that we are doing the right thing, although I hate leaving my beloved Colorado behind. God has new adventures in store for me!
Yes, we will miss you here but we rejoice that you will be with your family.
This alone time may be a nice time of reflection as you transition to the next phase of life.
Will we see you tomorrow night at WFTJ meeting?
Post a Comment