Having a Moment

So, we left Corpus Christi and drove home to Austin today. My MIL cried when we left because, you know, we're really leaving. Leaving this state. Leaving this...everything.

I felt terrible.

So, then we drove home and it was just about like any trip where we're cooped up in the car for four hours, plus stops. The kids got cranky. I got very tired and at one point, when I was driving, I almost ran off the road.

Which sort of stopped my heart and aged me by 25 years. My husband took over driving and I tried not to think about how careless I'd been with the lives of those who mean more to me than my own life.

When we got home, there were some people who wanted to see the house and so I rushed in, turned on all of the lights and then we loaded up the dogs and went to our neighborhood school to play on the playground for an hour. It looks like those people might make an offer on our house, though. (PRAY.)

And then we came home and struggled through dinner and television time and all of the noise that accompanies coming home from a trip. We unpacked and I did the laundry to get ready for the week. My husband flies out tomorrow at some ungodly hour and will be gone all week.

I'm dead tired. Seriously, bone weary.

There was screaming when we turned off the kids' show in the middle of it, despite the fact that we'd warned them and blah, blah, blah. We got out of patience and crabby and finally, just tried to slog through the whole thing.

After a little bit, Jane came down to see what the score was in the Super Bowl. And I heard my husband, who had needed to raise his voice to her five minutes earlier, say, "Aw, come here, little Buddy. You know something? I love you very much."

And there it was, see. That thing that redeems all of the mistakes and the arguing and the chaos and the stress.

Love. Just that simple thing.

I am possibly the most blessed woman on this planet. And sometimes I even know it.

Comments

Mokihana said…
Great post. Moving, selling the house... general exhaustion... it does get pretty overwhelming. Hard to keep the house perfect for any-second people who want to see it, because they might be the ONES!

I'm glad I'm not moving... but I am loving reading your adventure.

Hope the house sells quick!
TheOneTrueSue said…
Moving is awful. The staging, the showing, the leaving behind. I feel for you. And the general feeling of exhaustion - I hear you.

What a sweet moment between your husband and daughter.
Lynn said…
Is it possible that in addition to all the understandable exhaustion that comes with weekend trips, preparing to move, and life with kids in general, you might have sleep apnea?

It was drowsing off on the drive home that motivated me to get myself tested. I have a C-PAP now, and life is ever so much less scary. Particularly when I'm behind the wheel.

I hope all the surprises for the rest of this week, are good ones.
You'll feel way better once that house sells. Although then you have to start thinking about moving....
LaDonna said…
I really do hope for your sake that your house sells soon. You don't need the added stress for an longer than necessary.

My poor sister moved in August and her old house is still on the market. Of course, the old house is in a very small town with few people who can afford a house like that (my sister's a doctor) so I think they expected to have difficulty selling, but still.

Hope yours sells quickly and you're able to relax a bit.
Ei said…
I hope it sells quickly too...but yeah, you know you've got one hell of a family there, Barb. Hugs.
DK said…
Aww. Make me all misty, why doncha? Aww.
MadMad said…
it is sooo stressful! Good for you for seeing the good moments, too!