a retrospective

I’ve been reflecting on my recent history and realized that more than any time of my life, something significant and life-changing has happened every year for the past 7 years:

2000

After 8 years of living in Nashville, I moved to Portland, ME which coincidentally was three months after my cousin Jon and his family decided to pick up stakes and move there from Dayton, OH. Knowing no one when I moved, I was really glad to have them there. Once I got over the initial shock of the high prices, I fell in love with the Maine coast – rocks, sand, harbor…everything.

2001

Lost my job just before Thanksgiving, and within three weeks had moved in with my cousins, got a new job in Boston and prepared to relocate. Since it was the Christmas season, my p/t job at Borders became a full-time one, which provided some much needed $$ in the interim. Very sad to leave Maine.

2002

Moved to Boston in January, began attending CTK and started the worst job I’ve ever had (for a meat-packing plant in Southie) which was run by one of Boston’s most dysfunctional families. I lasted 5 months before quitting and starting up at InterGen, where I have been ever since.

With the exception of Dagmar, who I met on my second Sunday at CTK, friendships came much slower here than in Nashville. The buds of friendship however, began in the fall, starting with my small group – Brian, Abbie, Charlie, & Kathy. At Rick and Glenn’s encouragement, I began playing piano with the music team, having never played piano in a band setting and quite unsure of myself.

2003

This was a year of hard providences, leading to a long-term loss of appetite and 30 lbs from my frame. One of the blessings that resulted however was that my friendships at church widened and deepened significantly. During this time, I was asked to lead one of the worship bands. I felt woefully unqualified as I had minimal knowledge of music theory and played mostly by ear. Having some great players that knew how to work with someone like me was a big help. I found that being so intimately involved with the music helped me to sing truths to myself that my heart desperately needed to hear during that difficult time.

2004

Met my wonderful husband in January and got engaged in August – a huge surprise after convincing myself that I was entirely unmarriageable. I still marvel at the miracle of finding someone who could love me like J does.

Transitioned from accounting to treasury (cash management) at InterGen, which meant more interesting work and virtually no overtime.

2005

Got married…had the wedding that I dreamed of with almost everyone I wanted there to celebrate with us. Honeymooned in Martha’s Vineyard and was pleasantly surprised at how easy the transition to married life was.

2006

After a great first year of marriage, we sought to expand our family and within 3 months Riley was growing in my womb. We took a record 9 trips that year, in anticipation of travel slowing down significantly.

2007

With the birth of our son, it’s been a year of ambivalence. The financial stress and sadness of leaving Riley in daycare is the flip side of the tremendous joy we have in loving him so much. Better to have a boy to miss than to not have one at all. So we count ourselves blessed and lucky and look to God for help with the harder realities.

I still look at my almost-six-month-old son in wonder that he’s really here, in my home, in my family and in my arms. This was the life I had hoped for years ago and God in his mercy has let it come to pass. Thank you, Lord.

I love my Riley-boy!

Shelby