Saturday, March 20, 2010

They're Moving

Thursday was Match Day for the fourth-year med-school students all across the country. For those of you who hang out in LCMS circles, it's pretty similar to Call Day for the vicars and pastors. The doctors receive their assignments. Like vicars and unlike pastors, there is no option to say no. The residency will be for 4 or 5 years.

Rachel's blog announcement is here.

As Rachel said today, it was the news we were not ready for. We had pretty good reason to expect that Matt would be placed in Milwaukee. It wasn't until Tuesday afternoon that it finally occurred to me that Milwaukee wasn't a sure thing, and there were several different Midwest metro areas that might become their new home.

Everybody says it's great that Chicago is close. But right now, I'm thinking about how seldom Matt will be able to see his brothers. And they will have to find a new church home. And I suspect that for the next few weeks I'm going to fail at holding back tears when I see little Joseph helping his grandpa usher at church, or when I see Hannah run up to Grandma Louise and give her a hug before choir, or when I hear Barbara and Laura and Cheri talking about babysitting their grandchildren. All the exciting prospects of living in a "world-class city" don't seem quite enough today to compensate for the fact that they're going away from his family, her family, and their church.

But we'll get used to it, and I'll smile again. I'm very proud of Rachel for being cheerful and upbeat for Matt. I'll have to get my act together before I see him tomorrow morning.

5 comments:

  1. When I thought about WHY I was so disappointed, I realized that it wasn't so much missing friends and having to navigate a brand-new place- it was that I'd been looking forward to having you and daddy and Mary and Rick around to see your grandkids all the time (when we eventually have kids...).

    I didn't realize how much I wanted that until I knew I couldn't have it. Hopefully Matt will get a job in Wisconsin after residency and we can be back before our kids would be old enough for school!

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  2. It won't be too long, Susan. I know you have been dealt a double blow with Katie and now Rachel. ((Hugs))

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  3. It is ok to cry and mourn these partings. We know first hand. Our clergy grandchildren are in MI for his first call...

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  4. Susan:
    We are in Chicago now. And very convenient to public transportation. We are just a couple blocks from the "Blue Line" of both the L and the Metra. (Also just those same two blocks from the I-90/I-94 split on the north side.

    St. John's is LSB, by the book. A few little quirks to work out in the coming years, but very supportive of the pastoral office. The Sacrament alternates between 8 & 11 am, but the elders are very attentive when I am teaching them the reasons for every Sunday. That should change without problem soon. (And we will go to one Sunday Divine Service at 10:15 for the summer.)

    I'd be happy to talk more with you or the "kids" any time.

    Also, for the great museums of the city, if they get Chicago library cards, they can check out museum passes for a family of four for a week. Each branch has a set, first come/first served. Very cool!

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  5. Thanks, Pastor H. I will be sure to let them know (if Rachel hasn't already seen your reply).

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