A Lot Can Change in Five Years

This picture appeared on my Facebook memories. I remember the moment well. Sophie, my cat, had very little to keep herself entertained. The fish survived.

Everything in our townhouse was packed, labeled, boxed, and waiting to go, except for my two cats (who had no idea what lay ahead) and my one little brave Betta fish. 

This was five years ago, the night before we moved across the state of Florida from our small beach community by the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf Coast near parks and a large new mall. Our new home was very close geographically to our son and daughter-in-law, who were expecting our first grandchild six months after we moved in.  

Nothing was going to keep me from that moment. I had been looking forward to being a Grandma for years. 

My husband and I had both lived in this city before. He had seen it change from a small Florida town with dirt roads when he was two, and I moved here for the first time at the age of twenty-one, forty-five years ago. 

 We were back. 

 Some places had changed and undoubtedly expanded but had the same “bones” and the same street names, and I knew my way around. There are a lot of memories to find here. 

We moved right before COVID-19, when the world changed. 

Our granddaughter was born in February 2020, when most people thought the pandemic was only in China. My niece happened to be living in Shanghai, so I was paying close attention more than others—at least, I thought so.

 Fortunately, we were able to be in the hospital when my granddaughter came into the world at nearly 3 a.m., and I got to hold her before the sun came up. 

A month later, everything changed again on one of our family weekend walks in the park. My son told me that he thought it best that we not see each other for a while, with Lilly being so small and all the uncertainty. There was different reporting on the news every night, and there was lots of misinformation and confusion. The only constant was to stay six feet away from everyone outside and to avoid being around others, especially infants and older people. Restaurants and businesses started to shut down. Everyone isolated. My husband and I learned to play a card game called Five Crowns. We had never played games together before. Now, it was a ritual.  I bought a sewing machine to make masks and remembered I had no patience to sew. I became increasingly grateful for Facetime and the Internet. I followed channels and, learned DIY on YouTube, and started painting furniture again. 

Fortunately, our family remained healthy during the pandemic.  I’ll never forget that period in my life, and I’m sure others who experienced the uncertainty feel the same. 

Thirteen Months Later 

When I discovered that we would have another grandchild the following summer, I became obsessed with finding another home. Our current house was lovely, but also two stories with all the bedrooms upstairs. After just a few months of carrying my first granddaughter up and down the stairs to nap, get a bath, or play in her room, I was ready for a one-story home. The idea of carrying two babies up and down was not appealing.  In addition, the older one was trying to climb up to her room all by herself.

I can be pretty convincing when I set my mind to something, and after a couple of months, my husband finally relented. Three months after our second granddaughter was born, we moved into our one-story home with a beautiful view, even closer to our family. 

Life settled in quickly after that. There were birthday parties, holidays, trips to Disney, a family cruise for my 65th, Easter egg hunts, arts and crafts, and more. 

Last Thanksgiving, there was another unexpected but very welcomed surprise. There was going to be another baby, this time a boy. 

Andy was born last June. He is such a happy child, and it feels like he has always been a part of our world.

Even my fish family has grown. I’ve gone from a small fish tank for one Betta to a 29-gallon tank for ten neon fish. 

So, to recap, in five years, we have:

• Moved twice

• Added three grandchildren, two girls, and one boy, to our family

• Survived a pandemic

• Learned a new card game

• Painted a kitchen table/chairs and a nightstand

• Celebrated birthdays and holidays

• Visited Disney World three times

• Went on a family cruise

• Added a larger fish tank and adopted another cat 

I’m sure there are many notable events I’ve forgotten, but my photos remind me. It is another reason I take lots of pictures: to be reminded of the good times.

My camera rolls, and my heart is full.

What about your last five years? Maybe take a moment this weekend to jot down some of the highlights, remember the good times, and consider what has changed. 

I hope you look forward to the next five years and beyond as much as I am.

As always, thanks for reading!

Keep smiling! 

xx