Moving

Moving

This weekend our family came together to help my oldest daughter and son-in-law move to a new home. In spite of the rain, we moved furniture and possessions, but more importantly, we enjoyed an opportunity to connect with family and friends. It was just a few weeks ago that we had the same privilege of moving my younger daughter and son-in-law to their new home.

As the weekend grew nearer and the planning unfolded, I became excited. I spent time reflecting about why helping someone move is an activity that I love and look forward to. I created a small list:

1.  I get to pack and organize things. My family jokingly calls me “Packer Man.” I can fit more into a trailer or truck than anyone I know, and it will look great too. It’s a skill for which I’m proud.

2.  It’s work. I like to work–especially when there is a reward at the end. What better reward could there be than a happy daughter who says, “Thanks Dad.” And the personal satisfaction that you accomplished a good deed for one of your kids–doesn’t get any better than that.

3.  It brings family and friends together for a common purpose. Our entire family pitches in. We work together and that’s always a good day.

4.  It brings back great memories from my childhood.

One of my fondest memories is helping family members move. It happened frequently. Maybe because, at that time, my dad was the only family member who owned a pick-up truck, or maybe because my mom had eleven siblings. Someone was always moving and the family came together to help. It was fun for me.

I have moved cross-country several times–with all of my earthly possessions carefully balanced on a trailer. I cannot even count the number of moves in and out of college dorms of which I have been a part.

Moving symbolizes change. A new frontier. A new opportunity. Possibilities and challenges. A shift. The antithesis of stagnation. When I think about it metaphorically, I help people move every day. People sit in my office and we work together to identify opportunities for movement in their lives. Sometimes it is a physical move, but more often it is a move toward connectedness, self-awareness, or maybe a move toward independence. We all need to move occasionally. And sometimes we need a bit of help identifying a course of action. Is a move in your near future?