HELPING THE FAMILY MANAGE THE MOVE
Catherine P, Cole
April 1, 1991
"Moving day is such fun!" I overheard our daughters tell a neighbor as we packed boxes and sorted books. "We pack lots of food, sleeping bags and pillows, cards, games, and tapes. You'd love it," said one daughter. "Mom drives one car and Dad the other. We have all these neat signals for stopping," said the other. On they went, veterans of ministerial relocations, describing the fun of moving day. I realized what a time of merriment that monumental day (or days) had become. Even though the actual trip is a lark, the days that follow are not as easy. Moving means uprooting ourselves from the old to become part of the new. Our family won't feel settled just because we have placed our belongings in a new home. We've learned to nourish ourselves during the time fragile roots are being reestablished. Several activities help our family through the transition. Recall family history
First of all, we recall our past-our history as a family. When we're sorting the stuff we've collected since our last move, one of us inevitably comes upon the big box of family photos. "Oh, look!" someone says, and the whole family gathers around. Together we look through stacks of photographs and relive our children's' first day of kindergarten, birthday parties, vacations in the mountains, and family gatherings. We stop for a while and simply enjoy what we have experienced together. Suddenly we're no longer adrift. Our past nurtures and supports our family's future. Our daughters were only 6 and 8 years old when we moved from our home in Iowa. We planned one last party for their friends-the ultimate slumber party. Seventeen girls spent the night: 8-year-olds in the basement, 6-year-olds upstairs. They partied and played, ate dozens of hot dogs from a makeshift ...
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