Thursday, April 16, 2009

parallelogram


one time, when sarah and i were first called to serve together in the (ward) relief society presidency, we had a meeting with the stake relief society presidency (so many presidencies, so little time!) where they asked us to introduce ourselves so we could all get to know each other a little better.


this is what happened.


sarah: my name is sarah. i am from denver. i have a degree in journalism. i served a mission in japan. now i work for a local non-profit.


me: my name is frances. i am from denver. i have a degree in journalism. i served a mission in japan. now i work for a local newspaper.


pause.


sarah: but i did it all first!


and so it was that we realized we had been living parallel lives all along, which is fine with me because there are few footsteps i would rather follow than sarah's.


so it made perfect sense that when sarah decided to leave her high-powered senior analyst/technical writer position in washington, d.c., she called to see if i was interested. so it made perfect sense that her call came just as i was thinking it might be time for something new. so it made perfect sense that i sent over a resume, went out for an interview, got offered the job and accepted it. so it makes perfect sense that in a little less than a month i will pack up everything and head to a new life.


now you know.


this major change will obviously be a major topic on this (major) blog in the weeks to come, but here are some initial thoughts.


1. if we do not move forward, our lives do not move forward. this means different things for all of us, but it is true for all of us nonetheless. we must change or be changed and i, for one, would rather dictate the circumstances than let them dictate me.


2. that does not mean that change is not scary and hard and it is possible that i will die of a panic attack. but i am going to embrace change anyway.


3. i am truly thrilled for a new chance, a new opportunity, a new adventure, a new challenge, new learning.


4. my heart is also breaking at the thought of leaving behind four years of life and people that i absolutely love. my life in salt lake has blessed me with things i never could have imagined would become a part of me, chief among them some of the nearest and dearest friends i have ever known. i will find good people wherever i go, but no replacements, i am sure.


5. sometimes, when we bring our true desires and efforts before the Lord, He blesses us with exactly the thing we want.


6. i have no idea how i am going to fit all my shoes into my car.

18 comments:

becky said...

congratulations frances! and good luck. exciting new things are ahead of you.

HABBENINK said...

Congratulations! You're going to do great!

Susan said...

but how will i visit you when you are in DC?! how??!

okay, enough about my needs.

hooray for new adventures and big decisions! you rock and dc better get ready for your awesomeness.

Kate said...

Yay! You'll be about a thousand miles closer to me now! And you can totally ship your shoes to DC.

Ashlee Kate Christofferson said...

This is so exciting! Way to take this chance. Good luck.

Natalie said...

yay! How exciting for you! You'll love it there, and it'll love you there!

audrey said...

I heart #6.

Joelle said...

Don't worry, they have drugs for panic attacks and U-Hauls for shoes. Problems solved.

I'm so thankful for this blog - I can't wait to read about all your new adventures!! I'm thrilled for you.

Anonymous said...

Major grats woman. I love change, but indeed, the more experience I have in life the more complex the emotions of change seems to be. Viva DC! And if you happen to be a size 9.5 lmk and I would happily buy a couple pairs off of you. ;)

Tara

PNRBAC said...

Hooray for you! I don't comment nearly enough on your blog - but I am as devoted to reading it as Paul is to ESPN. WOW girl - you've really hit the big time! WATCH OUT D.C.! - they should make a movie about your life sheesh! Crazy that cousin Ann is moving to D.C. too - roomies again? Hey if you aren't busy next week I'd love to make Frances cake family style!
Love You!

Ems said...

this is so great! and your 5th point...thank you, I needed to hear that.

CL said...

Hooray for you! That is so exciting and I'm glad I have your blog so I can continue reading about all your fun adventures. Love #6!!

erica spelman said...

LOVE IT! I can bring MoJo and he can ceremoniously poop on the Capitol's lawn...at least his is easier to clean up than all those senators! But seriously, Frances, it sounds beyond meant to be and I am so excited for you! And I love the quote 'change or be changed'. Amen, sista.

suvi said...

YAY! You will be on this coast and I will come down to DC to visit you. Change is good. It can be hard, but for you, dear Frances, you will move to DC and be a rockstar. Love you!

Popster said...

Is that a keffiyeh I see you wearing?

Someone who has more shoes than the entire population of Bangladesh should get professional help; they have programs for people like you.

The Wi Family said...

Congratulations Frances!!! What an exciting opportunity! We'll definitely have to get together when we come down for the wedding so we can see you before you go all the way across the country. Best of luck with getting ready.

Julia said...

Congrats Frances. Way to take the leap. I'm sure it'll be totally worth it! Change is exciting - and scary - but mostly exciting.

I'm sure you already have tons of friends out here but if you need any help (finding a place, moving your stuff in, knowing a good place for sushi) let me know!

frances said...

hey, julia! i am not sure if you are going to read this, but i would LOVE all the help and advice you are willing to give. what is your e-mail address these days? (i only have the old one from love.)