We’ve reached the crazy stage in our transition. Our house looks like a box factory exploded; half my kitchen cupboards are empty and the rest are half-full; most of our books are in boxes (this is a big deal for me); and it’s going to look worse before it looks better. And we’ve reached the stage I was dreading: the good-byes.
I’ve already had to hug Virginia and Kelsey, Glenn and Cole, Lawson and Morgan, Jay and Dawne and Amanda and a few others, and tell them “see you later” with a lump in my throat. I’ve hugged a lot of other people with promises of “see you tomorrow” or “see you Sunday” or “we’re not saying good-bye yet.” And I keep reminding myself that we’ll be back to visit Abilene. We have family here, in all the most important ways. We love Highland and ACU and so many of the people attached to both of those. We will be back.
But this is hard. It’s hard to know we won’t see these folks for months, that we’ll miss the Sunday get-togethers and the Tuesday coffee nights and the birthday parties and the little daily things. I’m so thankful for Facebook and email and cell phones – which I’ll be using copiously to keep in touch with my Abilene family. But oh my, I’m going to miss them.
So this Love Thursday is a love letter to all the people I love in Abilene. Thank you for supporting me since I arrived at ACU, a nervous, bookish freshman trying to find a new home. Thank you for loving me through good times and bad, too many to name. Thank you for standing with me through a year of deep sorrow and grief, when I lost two people I loved and didn’t know where to turn. Thank you for celebrating with me through the joy of my college years, my graduation, my first real job, my time in Oxford, my engagement and wedding and marriage, and everything in between. Thank you for accepting me, just as I was, and standing by me as I grew and made mistakes and asked questions and wondered and loved and changed.
Thank you for loving me, my Abilene family. I love you too. I’ll carry you in my heart to Boston, and I’ll come back to visit. And you are welcome in our little Quincy flat any time.
cakes, tea and dreams 
How did I miss this development? What’s in Boston! I’m in serious shock!
Oh, precious Katie, this made me ache for you. I know we didn’t ever really hang out at any length of time, but I want you to know that having the knowledge that you were right next door brought such comfort to me. I have LOVED anytime you were praising your heart out on the worship team; watching you recklessly adore God. I’ve loved knowing that I had a knitting-expert-extraordinaire living a few feet away. May I still contact you with knitting-related questions? I sure hope so. You and J will be dearly missed, but I know that the Lord is preparing Boston/Quincy to receive the fullness of all of yours and J’s giftedness. I adore how you think, how you write, how you savor the simple things, and so much more. Blessings as you say godbye and step out to make a new home; a new life; and make preparations to deposit your loveliness up north. Those Yankees are in for a rich and rare treat!
Love you sister!!
[…] been reading through my blog posts from last summer. Remembering how it felt to slowly say good-bye to Abilene, which had been home for eight years. Looking around our apartment, at the sun-spangled hardwood […]