Bryan and I love adventure. We would rather experience new places than own new things. And for the last 13 years we have dragged our kids all over the world, and we have loved every moment of it. In our minds, we have enriched our childrens' lives beyond measure. And they have endured it, believing that they are richer for the things they have seen and the places they have been.
Today, I take my hat of to my children because this new adventure of moving to Minnesota has cost them everything that they held dear. And, although this move holds treasures yet to come, the cost has been great.
I have seen Kyle and Zoe give their possessions away because we could not bring them with. I have seen them say farewell to friendships that were as old as they are. I held them when they gave away their pets, their home, and everything they have ever known to be home. And, I had to drag them crying away from my parents, knowing that we might not ever see my dad again.
And they did all of this because we told them this is what God has for our family. They did this because they trust that Bryan and I know what we are doing. They did this because they had very little choice.
On the first of February we sent them to school, after just two weeks in America, which was spent living in my brother's basement. In South Africa, they went to an Afrikaans-speaking school where they went barefoot with kids they have known since preschool. Here they knew no one, and it was snowing outside. Since then, they have had to read, write and do math in English. They've done projects, took part in plays, rode the school bus in the freezing cold and faced school bullies.
As an adult, this transition has been very hard on me. There have been days when I didn't want to get out of bed, or to see people. There have been a couple of days where I have sulked and moped around the house in my PJ's just because I could. Unlike Kyle and Zoe, Bryan and I have the freedom to adjust to this new life in our own time. Kyle and Zoe leave the house at 8 a.m. and get back after 4 p.m., and then they have to start with homework. My kids have had little time for themselves or for sulking around. And when they do break down, I often have the expectation for them to keep their cool and get with it.
Kyle and Zoe are my heroes. I know, they lose it sometimes and have their fair share of struggles. However, in spite of having their entire world turned upside-down, they have fought to embrace their new life. They not only do what is expected of them, but they have thrown themselves fully into life as we now know it. I stand amazed at their ability to cope, their tolerance for change and their spirit that seems to flourish wherever we take them.
I thank God for Kyle and Zoe, who teach me every day what it means to walk by faith alone.
With all my heart, Daleen
