What do Africa, a long-lost family, and living in
My adopted parents were missionaries in Cote d'Ivoire, West Africa, so I spent the majority of the first 17 years of my life there, returning to the States - California, to be exact - every four years for furlough. I know. You're probably going to ask, "What was it like growing up in Africa?" to which I might respond, "Well, what was it like growing up in America?" It's a difficult question to answer because Africa was home, so living there was just as normal and routine to me as living in Anywhere, America, was to you.
The biggest blessing by far to come out of my life in Africa was meeting my husband. I mean, when I met him at age seven, of course I didn't know he was destined to make me Mrs. Pierce. Actually, we didn't even date in high school. Instead, we built a friendship that became the foundation of a wonderful marriage that is going on 30 years old. During that 30 years, we have had four amazing children and adventured together whenever we've had the chance.
The biggest blessing by far to come out of my life in Africa was meeting my husband. I mean, when I met him at age seven, of course I didn't know he was destined to make me Mrs. Pierce. Actually, we didn't even date in high school. Instead, we built a friendship that became the foundation of a wonderful marriage that is going on 30 years old. During that 30 years, we have had four amazing children and adventured together whenever we've had the chance.
One of the biggest adventures was our move to Connecticut from Georgia in 2010. Because I am allergic to Cold, I told Mark from the beginning that I would never live north of North Carolina. I guess I should have put that in my vows. What was in my vows was a recitation of Ruth 1:16, which says, "Where you go, I will go." I am a woman of my word, so joyfully happily (there is a difference, you know!) moved with him there. Through a series of events that included the popularity of remote work during Covid, we were extremely blessed to have the opportunity to move back "home" to Georgia. I very JOYFULLY moved out of the Artic and back to southern hospitality and humidity.
One thing I've been trying to do is become more intentionally content with where I am. To be honest, though, I've felt a little lost lately. I've been a stay-at-home, homeschool mama to my four children for 20 years, and they are now starting to go their own way. Alex, my oldest daughter, is now a college graduate. Michael is married, and he and Cassie are expecting our first grandchild (I'm SO excited!!!)! Jacob is also married to Trinity. And Audrey is in college now too.
I have nearly gone into full-on panic attack mode at various times when I have considered what the next steps are for a middle-aged woman who has been out of the workforce for nearly 25 years. Do I get a job? Do I sit at home and be a princess? I don't mind being a princess, but I'm not one to sit for long. So I've decided to take at least a year before I commit to anything...be here for my kids when they get home from school. And in the in-between hours, I want to intentionally seek new knowledge, try new things, venture to new places. I know that if I commit to documenting my adventures, I will be held accountable to more than just sitting on my couch binge-watching Netflix.
So I hope you'll come along for the journey. I'm sure details of the aforementioned elements - my life in Africa, my newfound family, and my life up here in freezing New England - will weave their way into many of the tales I tell. My hope that is on these pages I will gain a new perspective about my encore years and learn to live those years with a little more with abandon.
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