A New Normal

Last night, I finally sat down to write. I had time and few distractions, so I wrote a short piece about facing a “new normal.” It was about how I view life sometimes in patterns of “normal.”

My internet isn’t always great where I live, and after finishing it and hitting refresh I noticed that back near the beginning of my piece I had lost internet and without internet, I also lost the wonderful feature known as “autosave.”

When the internet reset and I hit refresh most of the writing was gone and so was my motivation.

Anyway, I wrote this shortened version earlier in my journal and I decided to share it here as well.

For the last seven years, I’ve had a basic overall normal. I referred to it in the piece I wrote that disappeared into oblivion as “my latest normal” because life forces change on us.

There are many variables under this chapter of normal, but it’s been, to me, a routine-lovin', guy...normal for basically the last 5-7 years.

Next week, as my daughter leaves to make the 12-hour trip to Pensacola for college, I anticipate my life taking on a new normal soon. 

Many young people find their spouses at college, especially at Christian colleges. However, with over 4,000 students on campus, the chances of her finding a young man who lives close to Cloverdale, Indiana, are slim.

Will she find someone to marry? If so, will she end up moving close to where he is from?

I’m not overly concerned, but I’m also not foolish enough to think things are going to be as they have been.

I should have a few more summers with her, but if she finds a young man, even those summers and holidays will be shorter, as she wants to spend them with him.

I’ll be fine and I’m excited for her to experience life at the same college that had such an impact on my life.

But, life has changed as it often does. Once, she ran around the house playing with dolls, waiting for Dad to come home.

Now, I’m waiting for her.