"Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal. " - Arthur Schopenhauer

I am sitting among boxes watching the movers pack up our Upper East Side life.  The excitement of Dublin is not on my mind today.  I am only thinking about the closing of this chapter.  This is the apartment where we were two and became four.  It is our boys' first home.  It seems that I was just decorating their room, and washing out bottles.  Now we are moving out, and they are growing up.  The cribs will not make the trip to Dublin, our big boys will graduate to beds.  

I will always remember this time: Central Park, Super Soccer Stars, Park Bench, The East River Parks, Burger Heaven the Pizza "pwace" and our wonderful friends especially the great Miss Mary.  

I know that there are great things to come for us in Dublin, but today was about these years.  I hope that I never forget how wonderful it was.

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth." - Robert Southey

The movers are coming in two days! I feel just about as prepared as I can for our move to Dublin. My only anxieties seem to be about saying goodbye to family and friends and being so far away. Lucky for me these anxieties are lessened knowing that I can see and talk to everyone on Facebook and Skype. Many people will hardly notice that I am gone! Is this a good thing? I will say yes- for now. We will also be able to chat locally on our 212 number through internet phone service.

A few of my friendships have survived years of long distance. I am lucky to have an amazing family, biological and through marriage who I hope to see in Dublin soon. But I also have some newer friends, made through my kids in the past couple of years. These are the friends who have listened to me talk about the possibility of moving to Dublin for the last 8 months- the uncertainty, the frustration and the excitement. There seems to be a difference in leaving these friends. They have meant so much to me in a short time- it feels like we were just getting started!

I am so grateful for the dinners, get-togethers, visits and phone calls that make me feel so loved!

May the sons of your daughters smile up in your face. - Irish Proverb

Seven years ago it occurred to me that I knew very little about my ancestors. My father's mother was about to turn eighty, and my other three grandparents had all died in their fifties. I began to ask my parents questions about their parents and grandparents. Perhaps they had been gone too long, or maybe the things that I wanted to know just weren't noted or discussed. My questions just left me with more questions and it struck me: If I don't find out what I can, part of my history- part of me- will eventually just disappear!

I jumped on my dial up internet service and signed up for Ancestry.com. I took the information that my parents knew and plugged it in. In the course of looking for information about my mother's grandfather, Bernard Jennings, I was led to a message posted on a board two years earlier, also looking for information about Bernard. The poster's name was not familiar, so I sent a message with little expectation of a response. It came back right away- "Who is your grandfather? Walter? Bernard? Frank?" Yes! my grandfather is Frank! And she knew his brother's names!

Her name is Cathy and she is my age and her grandfather was my grandfather's brother. She was so nice and helpful and she was my cousin. Suddenly I felt a connection to my history that I thought might vanish. I was given a gift, one that I hope to pass on to my sons so that they may smile up in the faces of Bernard and Frank and the many others who helped to pave the way for us.

It's a long road that has no turning. - Irish Proverb

And my road is about to take a big turn. A week from today my family will be moving from New York to Dublin, Ireland. The move has been in the works for about eight months and we are as prepared as we can be. My husband and I have made many plans for the future of our family, and moving to Ireland was not among them- but we are really excited! I have no doubt that we will enjoy our time there. The country is beautiful, the people are wonderful and we have good rain boots!

My husband and I both have Irish ancestors, and I can't help but think about my great great grandparents coming to the United States under very different circumstances than those under which I will go to their homeland. These people that I know very little about, those that I come from, have been on my mind. Throughout the adventures I know that we will have, I also want to learn more about my "roots". More about myself.

I love my life here in New York, but I am so grateful to have a chance to live in a new place. I will miss my friends and family and I hope that they will come visit and Skype us a lot! The preschool application process will just have to go on without us. (smirk)