Change Isn't Always Bad...

My new assignment has brought me back into my old stomping grounds.    For the past three weeks I have avoided getting too close to my old home; not being quite sure how I would feel. 

Today, I ventured out.  I needed gas in the car, and did not want to stop at the Shell station on the corner (they have taken 3-4 days to post transactions to my checkcard the last 2 times I’ve been there).  I drove a mile or so down the road, and cut across the road that joins the two major thoroughfares in the area.  Turning right onto the state route, I saw all the familiar images from days not so long ago:  There is the church I used to pass every day, the “new” gas station (where I decided to stop), and across from the new gas station, the Wendy’s I used to frequent.  In my mind, I knew that if I drove up the hill beside the Wendy’s and turned left at the light, I could be at my old house in 7 minutes flat.   It was a lovely, sunny day, and I can just envision the play of light across the hardwoods in the living room.  I knew, too, that if I turned right out of the gas station, that I could be at my old workplace in 45 seconds or less if I took the side street instead of going all the way to the light.  Yes… I knew where I was, and had a deep sense of nostalgia; a bit of longing & fondness for the life I had when I was there. 

I pulled to the pump, scanned my debit card, and set my car to fill.   I smiled a bit to myself; the old place I glanced across the street:  Wendy’s.  I must have eaten a thousand meals or more from that Wendy’s over the six years we lived there.  When I was pregnant with my daughter I think I almost caused them to sell out of chicken nuggets; I couldn’t get enough of them (little wonder I gained 38lbs!!).  I was flooded with memories:  Picking up dinner on my way home for my hubby and me; Stopping by there for a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger on our way to meet friends for an evening out; Treating ourselves to a frosty on a warm summer night.   So many memories from such a seemingly insignificant place: a fast food restaurant. 

My gas finished pumping, and I finished my transaction.  As I was getting back into my car I looked up at Wendy’s again, and stopped:  It was different.  I don’t mean a little bit different.  The exterior of the building had been completely remodeled!  “Wow!”  I thought, “Have I really been gone from here that long?”  It doesn’t seem so, and yet we have been gone from the area for four years.  

It’s amazing how much can change in so little time.

Those four years have seen my daughter have her first birthday (and 3 more besides).  Those four years have seen our family change from 3 with 2 dogs to 4 with 2 dogs to 4 with 1 dog.  In those four years we have moved three times (twice in the last 3 months), I have changed jobs four times, and Hubby has changed careers.  Friends have come and gone, with the “usual suspects” staying steady (the major trials in life help you figure out who is a real friend & who is not), and my husband and I have settled into a church family. 

Yes… things have changed, but the change isn’t bad.  While I could wish that my husband had not been laid off from his job, he seems very happy in his new field.  I may have changed jobs 4 times, but I have grown in my field with each change; positioning me well for my current job.  I cannot, in any way, regret my son; that beautiful, amazing child!  My daughter is an absolute joy (even on the days when she makes me want to pull my hair out), my current house is place of solace & laughter, and spending time with our small group from church fills us with peace.   

I smiled as I got in my car and headed back to work; time to get going.  The memories I have from my former life are sweet, but life moves on.  A lot can change in a little amount of time, but sometimes change is good.