Heavy hand, heavier heart

If you have seen me moping around Phillips County lately, it’s because the whispers you have heard or seen are true; we are moving sometime in the near future.

Though it will be a new beginning for our family, it has made me sad at times. This is because I wish I could take anyone who wanted to come with us.

That’s the kind of community Malta and Phillips County has been to me. Gracious, loving, welcoming, and accepting.

I will miss the people, the small town atmosphere, and the sports teams the most.

My family and I are planning on heading south depending on when our house sells. It could be as early as this spring and as late as next year. Our next destination if the Lord wills it; North Carolina.

Though we love it here, I realized from the start of my move here from Chicago to marry my beautiful bride that I was a long way from my family in Chicago. This has been the biggest issue for me.

This really started to hit home when we had PJ. It is tough for our family to get to Chicago and tough for them to get to us. I see my folks once every year, thankfully, but I need to be able to access them a little bit easier.

I lost an aunt and grandfather last year and only made one funeral. While I was thankful to get there for one funeral, I thought to myself that if a double tragedy happened again, I would like the option to attend every funeral.

Initially, Susan and I talked about a few places including Billings, Missoula, Carson City, Nev., and even Southern Illinois. But when we seriously talked about things, we concluded that we don’t really like winter. So we considered Florida for a brief moment.

Susan and I realized we probably don’t want to live too close to the coast because of the threat of hurricanes. So we checked out the Carolinas. So far this has made sense. A place with a calmer climate, and a 12-hour drive to Chicago. That means we can make it there in a day instead of two.

Like I have enjoyed learning the culture here, I am hoping to learn the culture in North Carolina.

Susan, the boys and I will miss a few things here, including the people, the solitude, the culture, the sports teams, and our house. Our jobs have been awesome as well. We will miss our co-workers dearly.

I wish I could take our house and plant it in a plot of land at our new destination. Our previous owners had installed things in that house that I have only begun to use and appreciate. We have also made that house our own, having brought two sons home from Glasgow. As far as the house goes, I will miss my grilling area, man cave, and coffee roasting station the most.

I will miss everyone making our family feel so loved and special. The impact that this community has left on us will never be forgotten.