Bloom where you are planted.
This is the thought that has been weaving its way in and out of my mind for the past week. Summertime makes me restless. People are in and out town. I am in and out of town. Routines are thrown out the window. It makes me miss home.
And then I think, but what is home? I spent the first 30 years of my life in the same town. The majority of my family is there. I thought I’d live in that town forever. …And then I didn’t.
I recently started working through the book Having a Martha Home the Mary Way by Sarah Mae. On one of the days she recommends a personality test to discover your cleaning style. I took some different ones. They all came to a similar conclusion:
I don’t like change.
A few other traits mentioned were: careful, methodical, loyal, disciplined, likes a secure environment, concerned what people think, avoids conflict and change. I had to laugh as I read them to my husband because this list didn’t surprise either of us.
But what do you do when change is upon you? Since that moment when I drove away from the house that I thought I’d live in forever, change has been an ever-present part of my existence. Even when things are steady, I think change is around the corner. Sometimes I live in expectation of that change and so I don’t fully embrace where I am in that moment.
This is my third city since I left my hometown 8 years ago. I have learned a lot about change and have grown, but I still have a long way to go. I am right upon the 3 year mark in this place. My children have finally found their happiness here. On our return back from Florida, there were some comments about liking Virginia better. My first thought was “you traitors”, but in reality I was overjoyed that their hearts are content here. I am still restless. I have realized it’s because I haven’t fully tried to “bloom where I’ve been planted”. Home is wherever you make it.
Like a child on their first trip to the ocean, I wander to the edge of the roaring sea. As soon as the waves touch my toes, I run back to my spot of safety on the shore. After a while, I’m ready to make my way back again. I do so with trepidation and this time I let the waves roll over my feet.
The biggest thing that I have realized through my moves is to just keep putting yourself out there. This is not a strong trait of mine. But I keep doing it. It takes time. It’s not always comfortable. Sometimes it’s downright scary. My advice is to keep pressing beyond your comfort. If you take the time to sink in your roots or to brave jumping into the waves, you will find joy and contentment.
You will bloom where you have been planted.
The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail. – Isaiah 58:11
Let your light shine!
Amy
This is so encouraging and beautifully written. It is always difficult settling into a new place and making it feel like home. It took me 4 years to finally realise that I was content when we lived in Auckland NZ and then we moved back home. haha. I pray that you continue to find peace and that sense of home where you are. x
Thank you. I feel like I need to be giving it full effort 🙂 Settling in is definitely difficult.
I used to really love Bloom Where You’re Planted as well as “The real voyage of discovery exists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes,” but then I moved to Georgia and I never bloomed. Day in, day out, I hated it. I met some wonderful people and gained a grand sense of gratitude to be ‘back home.’ Back home for me could be anywhere in the Great Lakes region, but it’s definitely northern and green as all get out.
I admire your acceptance. I never found it.
I like that other saying as well! I feel like I need to give the place a fair effort.
We will not be returning to my home anytime soon so I am hoping that I can fully settle in here.
Fingers crossed!! 🙂
I’ve moved around a lot and it is hard, definitely, to settle each time. It took me years before I felt settled in Australia, even though I loved it there, and I never really felt like I ‘fit in’. Now that I’m back in the land of my birth, I feel more settled than I have in a long time. Yet I know there will be more moves on the horizon, so will make the effort to bloom, wherever I’m planted. Hope things start to settle more for you too, it really does take time.
Thank you. I’ve heard it takes 2-3 years to feel fully settled. I’m just trying to make sure I do my part by getting out into the community a little more!
It’s the only way to go, isn’t it? I always found once I got a job or found a group of some sort, I started to settle. I’ve been in my current home about four years, and am feeling fairly settled now 🙂
This is something i’m still working on here in Texas. We’ve been here for 7 years and I still miss ‘home’. I’ve been trying really hard to focus on the things I like here…and to be honest there aren’t many…but I am trying. 🙂
I definitely think it is hard! I feel most out of sorts in winter and summer because there is much more chaos. I’m more of a routine person! I don’t know if I’ll ever stop missing “home”, but I’m really trying to find contentment, peace, me….while I’m here. Hopefully you will continue to find little things to enjoy- like those beautiful skies that you post! 🙂
The sky is the number one thing I like about Texas. I’ve lived near beaches and mountains…but there is no where that can compete with the sky here. 🙂 I totally understand what you’re saying. I struggle most here in the Summer. It’s so hot and I resent the heck out of the A/C bill. It stresses me out. BUT it’s where we are so we have to make peace with it. I tell myself it’s not forever…just a very long pit stop. 🙂 And we would have never found Vivi had we not come here. She was worth it.
Throughout my life, change has been a fairly constant event. My parents moved around a bit, and sometimes that was hard, losing my school friends. I moved around a little in search of a decent job/lifestyle, and eventually made quite a change to my life — by leaving my home, Australia, on a new adventure to the USA. I stayed a decade, a period of many challenges, including Sept 11. I found that change fairly easy to be honest, though of course there was some homesickness occasionally. I planned on staying “forever”, but my Mum got sick and I came home to be with her. I got back 10 years ago, and have to admit that I miss the USA. I found the place very friendly (maybe it was the accent, but hopefully a little bit of me as well) and have some very close friends there. One day, when my Mum is no longer with me (I hope she’s here for a while yet, though with dementia it’s not such a nice life), I’ll consider a trip back to visit. Humans are very adaptable — I had to be, coming from the heat of Australia to very cold winters (not to mention driving on the other side of the world LOL). Your post brought back feelings and memories for me and I thank you for writing it.
Thank you. I’m sorry that your mother is not well. We moved from Florida to Virginia to be closer to my mother-in-law after my father-in-law passed. I can’t imagine leaving my country, mostly because I have never even traveled outside of it. I do think that humans tend to be very adaptable, which is a great quality because there are a lot of times that we need to be.
such a thoughtful post, much of which I can relate to 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Shared in my Posts of Note today. 🙂
Thank you!! 🙂
Such a beautiful. encouraging post… thank you for sharing and thanks to Nikki for leading me here 🙂
Thank you 🙂 I really enjoy Nikki’s “posts of note”. And her own posts are always amazing too! 🙂
Great post- I find I still have frequent dreams about places I used to live. We really do connect with our homes and change can be hard.
Thank you. I am much more adaptable to change than I used to be, but it truly can be hard!
What a beautiful post Amy. I don’t any of us embrace change but this past year I feel I’ve had no choice with things constantly changing around me. Sometimes that’s when we just have to go with the flow and trust in life. Warmest wishes to you. xo
Thank you. I think we learn the most about ourselves when we have no choice but to embrace change. It’s not always a fun process, but I do think we grow from it. 🙂
So very true.