And here. In Haines Junction. Still. And if you look at the title of the blog it's changed slightly from "the one year northern adventure of the Symanski family" to "the ongoing northern adventure of the Symanski family". Long story but to make it a short one, we're here because by last spring it became plain that we were supposed to stay and make the Junction "home".
That's the short version. Maybe sometime I'll want to spend some time giving you a peek in on the long version but not today. It's a great tale, full of angst (should we? shouldn't we?), horror (leave our people in Winnipeg? NOOOoooo....), pathos (oh, the agony of goodbyes), comedy (we ARE the Symanskis and so comedy is inevitable), adrenaline (wow, we're really doing this!) and honest to goodness heartbreak (words fail me...).
But also peace. The deep knowing in the pit of our very flawed selves that this was what we were meant for. That it was and is a God thing. And that both Ken and I felt that deep sense of "yes" together with the same intensity not only confirmed that we were heading in the right direction but also held us together in the days this past summer when we were packing up our life in Winnipeg and saying goodbye to some of THE GREATEST PEOPLE ON EARTH. Thanks be to God that He carried us through it all...
And now we're are here. No longer one year visitors but residents. And life is good. And God is good. But I am still the same person here that I was in Winnipeg which means all my character flaws came with me. I tried to leave them behind. I tip toed away from them when they weren't looking. But they are tenacious little turds and the first time my kids and husband started to annoy me on our drive back to the Yukon from Manitoba they were right there, egging me on and I started to holler. Of course they didn't have far to go, I think they found me around Portage la Prairie...
And so it goes, living life in this fascinating little village, trying to find out what I'm to put my hand to. What will I contribute to this community? There are so many things I could do, so many opportunities. But I have this fairly clean plate/slate before me and I want to be mindful of what I put on it. Ken and the kids and managing our home already has a big chunk of it, I want to be careful not to crowd them out. I know what it feels like to live a crowded life. I don't do well with it. I holler. I get cranky. I withdraw. I eat food I don't need and spend money I don't have. So whatever I add to my plate/slate I want to do it thoughtfully and resist the urge to impulsively add all the good things I see around me (this committee, that project, this idea, that activity) to my schedule. I want to be mindful and deliberate rather than rash and over zealous. (there's those sneaky character flaws again... I guess if I can't run away from them I'll have to contend with them.)
I'll try to keep you posted about what's going on as we live life in our new home. Like I said, life is good and God is good so I'll try to share the goodness with you more frequently...
Jesus,
I am grateful. I'm so deeply aware of my "messiness" inside and out. And yet you don't hold it against me and you pour out your goodness all over my family and I. It's quite delicious and yummy and sustaining. I love you.
'til next time,
Dianna
