I am returning from the longest break I have taken from my blog since I started about a year ago. It is not because nothing has happened. It is because so much has happened. I have been working on making sense of it all. Once I had a moment to step back from the chaos I found myself reflecting on one of our favorite books: Zen Shorts.
There is a vignette in the book called The Farmer’s Luck. A farmer’s horse ran away one day and his neighbors came over to offer their condolences.
“Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next day the runaway horse returned with two additional horses.
“Such good luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The story continues with the neighbors’ identification of the “luck” fluctuating and the farmer always maintaining equanimity. Well, I am trying to maintain that same equanimity now as I sort out our recent luck. Rob was offered and accepted a one-year teaching job two weeks ago.
The interview happened and the job was offered four days before the first in-service day, which was short notice but such a relief to know that he will be employed at least for one year. It would seem like a one year contract would fall into the “bad luck” category, but the job is in Eugene. So, it is good luck that he was not asked to commit long term to working in Eugene.
It is just too far for a daily commute and I have become a mid week, single parent. It all happened so fast that I don’t know if it made it easier or harder than having plenty of time to plan, and to worry. We are very thankful that Rob received a laptop from the school to use for the year. He wasn’t online his first week, but this week he was.
We have made use of Skype multiple times a day. Rob started reading Charlotte’s Web to Henrik as part of his bedtime routine via Skype. It is so nice that they can still have that connection. Skype is good for us as adults too and it helps the time pass more quickly.
Two weeks of our new life have gone by already and I am still searching for the new rhythm for me and our mid-week Portland life. We are still figuring out how to continue our connected parenting approach with so many miles in between. I hope to get back to posting more regularly. I still look for the beauty around me every day and I hope you will too.
