Settling In

September marks, for me, a shift towards settling in as fall and then winter encroach and the world outside begins to close in for a long winter’s rest. As the weather cools, our own routines shift from open-ended vacation days to rhythmic school and work. I love this change in seasons, this annual shift in life, this exhale. And yet, as September lengthens into October and November, I can feel antsy and bored, too, somehow.

I’ve always kind of liked change. In the eleven years since I got married, we’ve changed houses almost a dozen times. And not just because we had to but because we wanted to. I cannot stay off Zillow (perhaps I should have been a realtor) and easily feel the pull for a change of scenery, a new project, a new space to make a home. “Oh, the Byxbes are moving again!” became a running joke of sorts among our friends through the years. I’m somewhat amazed that we haven’t run out of friends who are willing to help us move!

Next month, though, will mark two years of living in the same house, a milestone in our marriage. When we moved into this 1960’s-era home, replete with its shag carpet and avocado-green tiled bathroom, I dubbed it Gardendale Roots and began telling friends that this was our forever house. I had finally reached a point where settling in became appealing. Maybe it’s my ever-nearing approach to middle age or the fact that I have three kids and a dwindling supply of energy.

But I also felt the deep-down craving for establishing roots….

Read the rest at The Glorious Table today.