Today we offered our adult children the Christmas decorations and most of our worldly possessions. Yes, we’re taking the plunge: the “Let’s perch in our 5th wheel in Montana when it’s warm, and migrate south for the winter” plunge. And the questions are hard.
Will Christmas be the same without the ornaments I’ve crocheted and the Christmas nutcrackers and angels we’ve received? And what about the precious manger scenes and paper plate wreaths our children made in grade school?
Will our lives be the same without our high school annuals, my Girl Scout sash jammed with achievement badges and the silver box Dad picked up in WWII ? What about my husband’s pottery wheel and the spectacular vases he’s made?
Pottery Vase
No, life won’t be the same without these things. But it will be just as good. The stories crocheted into those ornaments will always be with me. The nutcrackers and angels are part of me, as are the friends and family who gave them to me. And those manger scenes and paper plate wreaths? Need I look at them once a year to remember when my children were children? Likewise, must I actually hold annuals, badges, Dad’s silver box, and my husband’s vases if I’m to preserve their value in my life?
No. For it is not these objects that are necessary to fill my spirit; it’s the memories and people, times, and events connected with them that matter. I can let go of these things that comprise the tapestry of my life, because these things are living and forever a part of me; the part of me that always loves, always remembers.
God willing, you will find us settled in our RV enjoying Montana family and friends during the northwest’s glorious summer and fall. And up north, when the late autumn dark comes early, you’ll find us migrating to Arizona and California family and friends, seeking renewal from the soft winter sunlight.
Come along and watch the flight of our Snowbird life as we follow the sun and hold our friends, children, and their children much closer. You see, turning into Snowbirds is our way of trading the things we love for the people we love.
‘Til the next post, Happy Tales to you and yours as we enter this holiday season.
Face of a Snowbird
Patti