Change is difficult

I was born and grew up in Jonesboro, Louisiana. My Daddy worked at the paper mill in Hodge and my mother taught music in the public schools. I guess I assumed we'd always live in Jonesboro and I suspect they did too.

When I was in the 3rd grade, the schools were integrated. You know, when black students were integrated into white schools and vice versa. Although it probably had nothing to do with race, the school system had it's share of problems and my parents decided to send me to school in Ruston.

So I began my freshman year of high school at Cedar Creek. Within the next two years I convinced my parents, who had lived most of their lives in Jonesboro, to move to Ruston. We found a nice home and that's what we did. We moved to Ruston. They lived in that same house for the rest of their lives.

Jim lived almost his entire life in Ruston. And as noted above, I lived most of mine there too. His parents built a house in the mid-60's and that's where he always lived. That's where his parents still live today. I guess we also thought we'd always live in Ruston. We never anticipated moving anywhere else. We were perfectly content to stay right there.

We didn't know anything else.

In 1995, everything changed. After 15 years of marriage and two children, we moved. It almost killed us all. We were excited and anxious and sad all at the same time.

We moved several times after that and it was never easy, but never as difficult as that time we left Ruston.

After a few years of moving here and there, we ended up back in Ruston. Ironically, at first I wasn't all that excited about returning. I sort of felt like we'd moved on. It turned out to be perfect timing for a lot of reasons. One, both our children were able to attend and graduate from Louisiana Tech.

When we left Ruston again, it was almost as difficult, in a different sort of way, because our children didn't go with us.

Now, here we are in Belgium. Who would have thought we'd end up here? Not me for sure. I never even thought I'd visit Europe much less live here. Which as it turns out were one and the same!

When I think about it too much, it makes me feel anxious. I have no doubt we are where we should be because in all these years, I can confidently say . . .

we have no regrets.

The closing on our home in Ruston this week sort of finalized it for me. There is a good chance we will never live in Ruston again. There is a good chance our children will never live in Ruston again. We have all moved on. I still miss it sometimes, but I can confidently say . . .

we have no regrets . . .

but change is difficult.