I’m having a baby and some amazing bloggers are here to share their …infinitely learning… moments with us while I nest, birth and babymoon. This post is from Melodie of Breastfeeding Moms Unite!
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Life has been hectic lately. We’re getting ready to move, and while I’ve moved before and understand that moving is stressful, this move is probably the hardest I’ve ever made. Why? Because I love where we live. Aside from our house, which is great too, I am having a lot of trouble parting with the land around us. We’re surrounded by forest on two sides and live across the street from a lake that serves as a bird sanctuary. The air is constantly filled with birdsong and the earthy clean smell of the forest floor. In our yard my girls climb trees, and forage for wild edibles with me. We have a hammock where we swing under a canopy of green and blue, telling stories and watching squirrels play chase. The girls have a tree house and know almost all the names of the plants on our land. This place feeds my soul.
We are moving to a lovely house but there is no forest around it. There are no birds or squirrels. Instead of 2/3 of an acre we will have a modest city plot. There are no trees for climbing, no street with ditches for exploring, no shrubs and bushes for playing hide and go seek in. This has been causing me a great deal of grief – the giving up of nature. We have not left yet I am already in mourning.
This weekend we took a break from packing boxes and driving back and forth to the city to take a hike as a family. My husband used to take a client of his on this hike and had been wanting to take us for over a year but he knew our kids wouldn’t be able to make it so we always put it off. Now our girls are a little older (3 and 5) and we thought we’d try it. Lo and behold they did awesome and after 40 minutes of trudging up a wilderness trail we ended up on a bluff overlooking the forest and ocean. I could have stayed there all day. The beauty of this landscape reminded me that our yard and view of the lake are not the only beautiful places around us. Even if I will no longer be able to enjoy regular visits from a family of quail, wild hares, or bull frogs, it is possible to become a visitor myself. I can find new wilderness to explore and experience the same feelings of joy in my surroundings. I can feed my spirit in another forest, in another town. I can finish grieving and move on.
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Melodie is a mental health professional turned work at home mom of two girls who can normally be found at Breastfeeding Moms Unite! where she shares information, resources and her experiences with breastfeeding, but also advocates for the telling and support of other women’s breastfeeding experiences. She also writes about other aspects of natural parenting (including bed sharing and home birthing) and healthy family living (including vegetarianism).
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
what a beautiful heartfelt reflection. thank you melodie!
~erin
exhale. return to center.´s last blog ..the circus is coming-
I beleive I was inspired by the way Hillary writes and was happy to contribute something to her beautiful blog. Thanks for your kind words Erin.
Melodie´s last blog ..Why I Love The Real Food Community
Your yard/forest and hike both sound amazing! I’m sure you’ll find great new places to explore too. I wonder if the girls would like each picking a special rock or shell or something to remind them of the fun they had there? I still have a rock from a beach I loved when I was 7!!
Maman A Droit´s last blog ..They Dont Stay Little Long
What a wonderful idea. I hadn’t really thought of that but I will have them take something from our yard to remember it by. And if they don’t do that then I will!
Melodie´s last blog ..Why I Love The Real Food Community
I really loved reading your experience. It’s wonderful that you have realized that nature is part of you and you can seek new places and new ways to experience it. I wish you a joyful move!
L.J.´s last blog ..Growing Together
I wanted to add that my last move was bittersweet as well. I was eager and happy to move forward into a brand new house, a new community and new experience, but I was sad to leave the home where I gave birth to my boys. I had my moment of tears, said my goodbyes and have never looked back. We embraced a new sense of community, new treasures and new experiences that have thrilled and delighted us for many years now.
L.J.´s last blog ..Growing Together
Thank you L.J. I keep telling myself everything will be great in the city. We have some wonderful new opportunities headed our way, we plan to homeschool this coming year and sign the kids up for yoga – something we couldn’t do in our smaller town because it wasn’t available. So it truly will be a fresh start. It’s good to hear other people’s experiences with emotional moves though, so thank you for sharing that. ;)
Melodie´s last blog ..Why I Love The Real Food Community
And you’ll get to enjoy being surrounded by city, which I think is awesome and possibly will be a more sustainable lifestyle for you. No more trips back and forth into the city! There will still be life all around you, just in a different form.
I know this move is hard for you. But I also believe that there will be many great things about your new home. I hope that you find them, soon, and that they bring you peace and joy.
Amber´s last blog ..Routine Chaos
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