Moving From Nada To More

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” (Rumi)

While we absolutely LOVE the more of what we’re discovering here in northern Michigan, we’re also acutely aware of all the nada it took to get here. Without letting go of life in Des Moines, we couldn’t have stepped into the more of what we are experiencing now: the more of a spectacular landscape of dunes, orchards, beaches and vineyards surrounded by beautiful Lake Michigan; the more of countless area trails to explore; the more of living closer to most of our children and grandchildren; and the more of feeling at home in a deeper way than we’ve ever felt before. So much more.

But first, so much nada.

Leaving Des Moines, our home for almost 30 years, was hard. There was so much to release and leave behind. Fortunately, we knew we were following our hearts and that the move to Michigan would take us where we needed to go. This, coupled with excitement and anticipation of new life helped us shoulder the losses and gave us courage to move into an unknown future.

We said goodbye to many dear friends and Des Moines communities of which we were a part: ChildServe where Lloyd worked for 27 years, the Johnston neighborhood, several different church communities, an incredible running community, the IMT Des Moines Marathon Race Committee, several different gyms, the Prairie Fire community, and numerous other groups.  Saying goodbye to all of these life-giving relationships and communities was tender and poignant.

There were other farewells too: Des Moines health care providers we had grown to trust, clients we had loved for many years, and familiarity with Des Moines area geography and its extensive trail system. We had shared countless early morning trail runs with great friends and knew all the twists, turns and earthy smells of every trail mile, even in the dark.

Looking back, we realize the life we created in Des Moines was like a “well-oiled machine.”  We had devised effective  systems and processes for all the functions of our lives, which allowed us to operate at maximum efficiency and maximum attention to relationships. Our home office, where we each had our own desk, shelf and storage system, served as hub for planning, coordinating and integrating our professional and personal lives. We were able to track medical appointments, work and personal appointments, and various professional trainings and certifications with a fair amount of ease. We had an intuitive sense of when to say “yes” and when it was better to say “no”.  Such structure along with a good sense of pace, enhanced our ability to give our lives away and to do the work to which we were called.  Life in Des Moines was a good thing, and we are so grateful for it.

By the time Des Moines closures were complete, we found ourselves free of many responsibilities and looking into wide open space. We were at nada, ready to create a new reality:

No ChildServe responsibilities

No MI driver’s licenses or license plates

No doctors or dentists

No area friends

No gym

No church

No small groups

No garage (only a pole barn)

No home office

No cell service

Not even a mailbox (until Lloyd built one out of leftover cedar).

We wondered about so many things: Would we need to develop similar systems and processes to help us live in our new location or would we organize our lives in an entirely different fashion? Would Amazon Prime deliver to our place on W Cheney Road? (we had grown accustomed to the no shipping fee/fast delivery for household items like toilet paper and laundry detergent). Would our septic system be able to handle more than one load of laundry per day? Would we be able to adjust to not having a home office?  Without a home office, where would we put the printer? In the bathroom??

We’re still finding ways to let the life we had in Des Moines bless us. Meanwhile, as new life continues to unfold here in Michigan, we find ourselves being drawn into something richer and deeper, something more. As we become familiar with this area and the people who live here and begin to understand new ways of organizing our lives, we’re gradually stepping into this more. 

It helps to hold things loosely. We’re trying not to cling to the losses involved with leaving Des Moines or to the hopes and dreams we have for the future here. Instead, we’re trying to be open and receptive to whatever each day holds. In this way, we’re hoping to discover the more that is in store.

V.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicki Vanderkwaak On March 12, 2020   /   A Word