February 27, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, David has accepted a position at Florida Hospitals and will start mid-March. We have been in a whirlwind of activities selling our home of 20+ years, buying a new home, packing and putting closure to our life here in Michigan. Most difficult for both of us has been saying good-bye to our friends (a broad term that includes our patients, co-workers, the ladies that have cleaned our home over the past 15 years, etc. Just on and on with ties to people that have been so much a part of our lives here).

Yesterday, David had his last day at Cancer Care Associates. He couldn’t sleep last night as he felt all the emotion of someone that has placed his heart and soul into building a program over the past 19 years. We will both miss our Cancer Care Associates life. The staff are remarkable people that believe the mission as much as we do.

Today we pack everything we plan to take from the garage attic and pitch and/or donate the rest. Most everything is down from the attic and spread out on the floor of the garage so that we can open boxes we haven’t looked through in years. David is now willing to give up his medical school books and note cards and I’ve decided that the 22 year old high chair can finally go to someone else. It’s amazing to us what we’re finding in the attic.

Our new home is smaller than our home here in Michigan because it has no basement. This is our fourth home in our married life (now 34 years) and we’ve never owned a home that didn’t have a basement. What do people do with all their stuff? Where do you put the skis, the turkey roaster, the old coffee machine that still works but you can’t make yourself part with? I’m still trying to wrap my head around a house without a basement and the storage issues that will result from a lifetime of being able to store.

What about my career? I’m looking for something at Florida Hospitals too. I’m open to new opportunities but persnickety – does that make sense? I find myself looking forward to the Christian environment that seems to shroud Florida Hospitals. I appreciated the difference in hospital surroundings when working at St. Mary’s Hospital at the Mayo Clinic for my nursing training in the 70’s. Then, it was okay to sit bedside with a patient and pray with them. I’d like to find myself in that kind of setting once again. For the short term, I’m happy that I won’t begin a new position until we are settled in our new place. I need to “feather our new nest” and make this house a home.

Many of you have asked about our children and how they will handle our relocation out of Michigan. First, it is important to remember that our adult children have had trouble building careers here in Michigan and have slowly left the state with no plans to return in the near future. When David was offered the position in Florida, one of the things we talked about was the opportunity it might present to have our children and grandchildren geographically closer. We hope that happens over the next few years.

Last thought today – I keep going over in my mind the phrase “when one door closes, another one opens.” I think that sums things up pretty well for us. Our life here in Michigan is coming to an end however our new life in Florida is just beginning with opportunities and adventures we would have missed out on had we not taken the chance and stepped through that open door.

Our new home in Florida has a beautiful lanai overlooking a peaceful back yard. That’s my image now as I disassemble our home from basement to attic.

Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Love,
Veronica