One year ago, DH got the call. He was offered a position for a job he'd been pursuing for three years. The location was Southern California, sixth on his preference list and not one we expected.
It was the day after Father's Day and I'd talked him out of going to the beach the day before because I didn't want to sit my pregnant self in the car for 6 hours in exchange for 3 hours at the beach. DH was disappointed but agreed.
He called me the next morning and asked me if I was sitting down. But before he got that out, I could hear in his voice that he had big news -- and I'd guessed it was an offer. When he said "California," I could not believe my ears. And I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
We'd prayed for so long about the trajectory of his career. Some things we knew:
- He couldn't work at a big firm forever.
- We needed a certain salary in order to pay for our kids and good schools.
- We valued time with family over a big salary.
Some things we didn't know:
- If location was important.
- What things we'd need access to (besides a good church, school, and hospital).
- Where the kids would have the best possibility of thriving long-term. (DH almost was offered a similar position two years prior -- in a remote area. Thankfully, that didn't work out.)
We were so grateful for DH's firm job, which helped us pay off debt and buy (and eventually sell) two homes. He grew tremendously from working with exceptional people, of which he is one. He built relationships at the firm which he maintains today. They elected him to the partnership because he is good at what he does.
Nonetheless, the job was taxing, mentally and physically. And I worried about his health. We lost several vacations, nights of sleep, and weekends with the kids because of the nature of big firm life (obtaining and maintaining commercial clients). He did an excellent job, but we always felt that the lifestyle was not sustainable.
One day, while praying a novena with DH about his future, I felt the Lord ask me to think about if I really wanted DH to get this job. I didn't know but asked for it anyway. I continuously told the Lord that we trusted Him to allow only offers DH should accept. A few days later was June 17th, a day that would completely re-orient our family. We wouldn't discover all of the reasons why this move was best until later. (And the benefits are still being revealed.)
Two months after we moved, we discovered that one of our boys was both on the Autism Spectrum and twice-exceptional. Given the dramatic life changes (especially Grandma's death), his coping became very disruptive. We saw struggles we hadn't previously seen. We also saw tremendous academic prowess. We discovered that California was one of the few states that requires insurance plans to help ASD people, regardless of age. (Virginia requires certain help only until the age of 6.)
We also discovered a beautiful K-8 school run by religious priests, who have been a remarkable influence on our boys (and Sweet Pea).
Additionally, the California lifestyle is just more "us" -- slower, more relaxed, setup for outdoor life, and happier (though you can find unhappy people everywhere, incl. here). DH is the happiest I've seen him. We do not miss politics. We do miss our friends!
June is a tremendous month for us. We celebrate two children's birthdays, Father's Day, my birthday, and now God's re-directing of our lives in ways we couldn't have anticipated.
One thing this experience has done is renewed my sense of wonder. "The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy!"
-Psalm 65:8
