~closure~

I had to own a feeling the other day, one that was just waiting for me to acknowledge it.
It wasn't all that fun of a sentiment and as a matter of fact, it kind of hurt a bit.
The truth is that the time has come to find some closure in this part of my life.
The moment really has arrived to begin the process of moving on.

We came here, now nearly 4 years ago, to a place where neither Mike or I had ever imagined we would live.  I had most certainly heard of the Red River and the Wichita Falls area, but I didn't picture myself ever living here.  Our journey brought us to the border town of Burkburnett because of 3 special family members who themselves resided in communities very near by.  Mike's Aunt Margaret lived in Olney, Texas and was getting up in years with health that was fragile at best.  My sister Sherry and her husband Wes lived in Altus, Oklahoma. Both of them had health issues with Sherry's seemingly the worst.  Although we didn't realize it would be the case at the time, one by one they would die in the short 3 years that would lie ahead of us.  

Beginning in October of 2015 , moving on to June of 2017, and finally ending in January of 2018, they left us here on the plains of northern Texas without them.  Their homes and belongings were sold and what we have that remains are the memories of our happy times spent with them during our brief existence here.  

After Sherry had passed away, keeping track of Wes in the 7 months that followed and making sure he was ok, helped to ease some of the pain.  Then just like that, Wes was gone as well.  Mike and I would sometimes have these crazy random thoughts of him.

"Maybe we should call and check to see how Wes is doing this weekend."

And then we would remember that he was doing fine.  His struggle was over and he was enjoying a new life in Heaven with Sherry.  

I spent time last summer emptying out their house of its belongings and getting it ready for sale.  I thought about Wes and Sherry and even talked to them as I went from room to room.  No they didn't answer me, but it was good to pour out my heart to them on those occasions when I still couldn't believe they were really gone.

"Sherry, how many of these two-piece African violet pots did you think you might use anyway?" I said one day as I found at least a dozen of them still in their original wrappings in a box.  

In my mind I could just hear her answering me back.

"Well Peggy, some were for you and some were for me."

New owners moved into Wes and Sherry's house several months back, establishing their lives on Cherokee Strip in Altus.  Come this February 11th, new owners will move into our house on Vaughn Street here in Burkburnett and do the same for us.  I remember the conversation I had with my two nieces, Brandy and Mandy, that Mike and I were going to move back home closer to Kansas soon.  It was in the early fall, long before we would put the house on the market.  I hesitated to tell them so early but I wanted them to know what we were doing, much like we did when we told them we were coming here to the Red River area to live in the first place.  They told me that they were happy and that they felt as if their mom was the one who was telling me it was ok to go home now and be closer to the family that we have left.  I felt so much peace in hearing my sweet nieces say that, and I knew in my heart one thing for certain. 

It's time to close this door and open the next.
Moving back is the right thing to do.  

I am so glad that I have this picture of Mike and Wes.  It was taken in October of 2017 right before we took Wes back to Kansas to visit Sherry's grave at Laurel Cemetery just outside of my hometown of Haven.  It was the first time Wes had been back since her funeral that June.  It would be the only time that he was able to go.  We had no idea that only 3 months after the picture was taken that he would be gone.