Embracing New Roles

Nearly 1 1/2 years ago we moved, yet again.  It was a difficult move for me. Aaron had started his stable job and our housing was SUPPOSED to be stable too.

So, being uprooted AGAIN only two years after he started his job was hard on me.  I HATE moving!  Plus the worst thing possible happened.  We moved into the "other" ward boundaries.  You know, the ward you see at church, you smile, but unless the building scheduler is in their ward, you leave it at that? Not because of any lack of caring- you are just comfortable in your surroundings.  Feeling at home in that ward had taken nearly the entire two years we'd been there.  To move into an even bigger ward was depressing.  PLUS do you know how hard it is to WATCH friendships weaken?  It's one thing when you move out of state or at least a good drive away.  Your friendships change, yes, but in a natural way for the distance.  It's SO different when you don't live any farther away from friends, but because you don't see them every other day or at least every week, the same thing happens.  I tried to balance between the two wards... that doesn't work so well when you also need family time.  Yes I still do things with old friends, but there is a difference.

No, we are not the first to switch between the wards, but we were the first in like 3 years and when we made our move, the last family to make the switch, switched back again.

So I'm currently in limbo.  Old friends have become more acquaintance like, I have new friends, but bonds are still very new.  So what am I?  Well, as one friend put it... I'm the bridge between the two wards.  So I invite friends who like to read to book club (no matter which ward they are in), and if you need someone with a certain skill I "know a guy".  My favorite thing, however, is that another family has made the same transition.  They went to the old ward after we'd already moved, but I had met her a couple of times... enough to know who she was, where she'd come from, and the challenge ahead.  My favorite part has been getting another friend to be the bridge with me, because let's just face it, that bridge isn't very often travelled on, and sometimes it get's lonely.

Okay, now that I got the sad, and a little depressing part is out of the way.  What has been my growing experience through this whole thing?  It's kind of cool to have a LOT of activities to choose from!  Plus, I'm a whole lot more open.  This is more a by-product of moving so much, but still, I'm a lot more out going than before, and I'm becoming a lot more practice in making connections with people on a different bases than religion.  I do know a LOT of amazing people... while that can be depressing in itself- being surrounded by pure awesomeness- it's also good to know that (at least as far as I know) don't judge me for my faults.  I have a LOT of resources to pull from.  I know twice as many people with keys to the church if I need to practice the organ.  I know music people from both wards, I know the presidencies and bishopric so if you ever need a face pointed out to you... that's me.

So while I can get down and out, sometimes, it has been a growing experience and a role that I hope I can embrace more fully as time moves forward.