Coming Home

Was it Mark Twain who said it?  “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”  For those of you visiting this blog in recent months, you must have wondered: What ever became of Linda Anderson?  Did she die?  Or run away from home?  Or simply succumb to irreversible writer’s block? None of the above.  But what did happen to her?  Well, a lot.

First, we finally sold our house in Wisconsin—after 14 months on the market.  We moved cross-country to a cozy little Boston-area condo.   Soon after, family came in from Ireland, Florida, and New Hampshire.  We began making memories in our new home.  Much rejoicing and praising God!

In mid-summer we got to “parent” our two little New Hampshire grandsons while their parents were away.   The week ended with a bang—literally.   A terrifying collision with a deer, especially scary because we had our two precious grandsons in the back seat.    But, praise God, we were all uninjured.  The car was totaled, but we are all whole, and still praising God for His hand of protection on us.

August and September brought two new “little women” into our lives.  Evangeline Linnea Cronin in Ireland—and, 6 weeks later in Florida, Annika Joy Anderson.  Lots of frequent flyer miles required—but such fun getting to know these precious little ladies.  More praising God.

So now we are home again.  After 10 years in Wisconsin, we have returned to the place that feels most like home for us (on this earth, that is): New England, where we’ve spent 30 of the 45 years of our marriage.  This is where we raised our children, and where we dug deep roots in church, in a community, in a Bible study. We are grateful—and, you guessed it, praising God.

Thomas Wolfe famously titled a book You Can’t Go Home Again. We’re finding that observation both true—and untrue.    The “home” to which we return is a different house.  In a different town.  And we are different people than we were 10 years ago.  We are writing a new chapter, in a new season.  We don’t yet know most of the words.

But God . . . He is the Same.   And He is the author of this new chapter.  We are eager to see what He will write.  The unknown can be a little scary.  But, as the sign on my desk reminds me, “You need not fear the future, for I am already there.”  (See Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, September 30) In the meantime, it’s good to be home.

And it’s good to be back to blogging.  For those of you who didn’t completely give up on me—thanks for coming back .  I have a lot more to share—both about Mom to Mom and from my life.  So stay tuned.