Marla the Blogger

Because of my husband's job, we've had to move several times. Each time we knew when we moved to a new place that we probably wouldn't be staying there more than a few years. And now we're in another situation where we've recently moved and we're not sure how long we're going to be staying here. So, once again, I'm feeling like I don't really belong here yet, but by the time I start feeling settled, we might be moving again. But as I was talking to a friend about this the other night, I realized that the problem isn't really with the situation itself, but with my attitude about it.

Even though we knew from the beginning that we'd only be in Cincinnati for two or three years, it didn't make it any easier to leave when we did have to move. Making new friends and getting settled in a new community is tough and since we moved to Boston I'm sometimes discouraged with having to start all over again.  And the thought of maybe having to do it all AGAIN in a few years makes me not want to bother with it sometimes.

But I realized the other day that I spend too much time thinking about and worrying about the future, and that I'm missing out on what's happening in my life right now. I know that I'm not a very patient person and I tend to want to "fast forward" over the parts of life that are monotonous or difficult.  But even in the midst of things that aren't so much fun (changing diapers, living in a small apartment, being new in town) there are moments that are really enjoyable (watching my son become a little boy, not having a mortgage and house maintenance costs, exploring a new place I've never lived before).

Really, whether we're here for a year or three or 30, I should have a positive attitude and try to enjoy the time we're here, instead of just looking ahead to the next place we might live. Instead of worrying about what might happen or trying to change things I don't have any control over, I'm going to try to change the one thing I can control: my attitude.