Time for change

I have been holding off on this announcement for far too long. It’s not a secret and more than a few know. Maybe I’ve been holding back because of the pain this decision has caused me, even though at the same time it is a source of pride and a sign of the greatest love.

I will be leaving Tampa and moving in with my sister and her family while I get my treatment.

I need the support system you can only get from your family. They have opened their home to me, helped me schedule medical appointments, and helped me plan for the move.

I hope this is a temporary change. I have so many friends here and I enjoy everyone at my work. It’s been great being here the past 15 years. Coming back to Tampa is a dream.

But for now, this is the best call.

It was an easy decision on one hand. I love my sister and her family so much, and I want to be with them as much as possible. When they volunteered to take me in, I realized more than ever what a blessing they are to me. Without their help, I would not have made it this far.

I believe God is working a miracle for me through them. And if you ask them, they will tell you that it’s God, not them, who is at work here.

It hasn’t been easy getting rid of a lifetime of accumulated stuff. But once this crisis hit all my priorities changed. God made it clear I am not my possessions, I am the unique soul He created that he knew from before the womb. He cares for me and watches out over me. And I believe He is preparing a miracle for me.

I’ve been reading the Scriptures a lot, and the part about the lilies of the field applies here. Matthew 6:38.

I won’t be able to personally say goodbye to everyone I know here, and that’s for the best. I don’t have the emotional energy to do that. Each and every one of you have made a positive change in me. The way you reached out to an apparently emotionally  reserved person like me and took the time to discover the lunatic underneath is a gift I can never repay.

I wish I could hug all of you, tell you individually what a special person you are. When some of you have contacted me by text or email, I have tried to tell you what you have meant to me. I hope that in a small way it has helped to break down the emotional walls I spent my life building. I promise to keep doing that.

I said this in an earlier post: I don’t accept or make Facebook friend requests lightly. If you are my Facebook friend, it’s because you made a real impression on me. You’ve made my life brighter with your presence, you’ve made my days more bearable, you helped me along the way. Thank you.

There’s not a lot else to say on the subject. I will be blogging as I get used to this new life and keeping everyone apprised on how I’m doing. Thanks to this modern gadgetry, we are as close and as instantaneous as neighbors taking across a backyard fence. Keep the messages, emails and texts coming. If you would like my number, send me a PM.

Time for a change.