Yup! It’s been a long time in the blogging world for me not to post. It’s been all on me. You see, the challenge has been that since June 14th, we’ve been on the move and I have lacked the routine which once built in time for reflection. I’ll also admit that I’ve been processing this retirement life, which seems to be more like an extended vacation or sabbath season. But even then, as with my Sabbath leave two years ago, I would be excited to share what we are experiencing along our travels. There is always a new thing of wonder that I felt motivated to speak and share of, so much so that I always wanted to write about it. I just haven’t felt it of late and that has been concerning to me. I am pretty self aware enough I realize that this isn’t writers block and probably is more related to situational depression which I can seek medication or I can try to get to the crux of it all.
Entrance into the retiring life causes one to reflect on a lot of things and perhaps quite first and foremost is how I shall spend my life. I have listened to friends’ counsel not to jump into the next thing too quickly. And I believe this is true. Meanwhile, I miss the routine of my weekly schedule. I miss my co-workers, and I miss the congregation which I served and my life as pastor. I miss worshiping with them but I can’t seem to find it in myself to watch weekly services online. Maybe I took for granted that I had something vital to say and people were interested. Perhaps they were exceedingly gracious and patient with me. Now my once professional life seems filled with silence from former parishioners. This is the professional courtesy by building space between you and them while allowing the new pastor space to connect with their new congregation. They owe me nothing. Life flows on in our separate ways. I’ve been through previous transitions, leaving one congregation for another, but my life was always filled with a new congregation. I have been ill prepared for this current transition.
I even miss the stress which caused me to think creatively. I think that has been the source of my sharing. This blogs intent was always different and opportunistic to speak and reflect on life from not a theologically centered persuasion. While inside of me, it wasn’t intended to be preachy or proselytizing.
A big, silent void fills a once busy professional life … and so I am starting to re-fill it with family. It sounds clichè, family has always been important to me and yet I know that at times they got the back seat to my professional life. Not any more. This summer, we visited my son and his girlfriend while we traveled across the country in our tow vehicle with a camper pulled behind us. We enjoyed a visit with my cousin’s family along the way. And now we are on an extended visit with our daughter and family in England. We’ve taken a visit to Legoland in Denmark. Jacki and I took a few days to tour the Isle of Skye, a long desired trip. When Jacki went home for two weeks to visit her dad and commemorate her mother’s birthday and passing, and Brittany and Danny when on a date, I took the boys to an indoor balloon filled park with castles and slide and just about every bouncy thing one can do. I then traveled to Belfast and visited the PRONI building to research long dead ancestors. I’m picking up on the ancestry research into the Stranaghan/Stranachan/Stranahan/Stranathan family which my distant cousin Susan entrusted to me when her life was untimely cut short. It’s a grand puzzle. I’m spending more time with my grandsons, doing what I did when our kids were young. Straightening up after day long sessions of Evvie pulling out every toy on the shelves. Making lunches and dinners that are a hit or miss, and when it’s a miss cereal and milk become the dessert. Brittany and Danny are off of a much encouraged trip and now we try to find things to do with the boys this weekend. Later today, after tennis practice we’ll be visiting Brimham Rocks and tomorrow a visit to York’s train museum, walk on the wall and maybe a visit to York Minster.
Autumn has arrived and we shall see what we shall see and perhaps the experience will be enough to share. Thanks for your patience, I’ve missed you.
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