” You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience
in which you really stop and look fear in the face.“
Eleanor Roosevelt
On July 16, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, at the age of 68, I pulled up roots and left St. Petersburg, Florida for the hills of North Carolina. This was not a spontaneous move, but one that had been a long time coming. I am a native Floridian and spent almost my entire life in the sunshine state. St. Petersburg is where I grew up, attended high school and graduated from college. It is where I married and raised two beautiful children. It’s where holidays were spent around the table with children and grandchildren. It’s where I enjoyed a twenty-five- year career in higher education. It is where I worshipped God on Sunday mornings and sang on the praise team in church. It’s where I made life-long friends and had a sense of community.
However, it was also the place I went through a painful divorce, lost my second husband and experienced the break-up of a relationship that had held hope and promise. Over a period of time, my children and grandchildren all moved out of the area to New York City. My beloved senior pastor and our minister of music, Kenn Mann moved away as well. I left my job at a non-profit under tumultuous circumstances in December 2019, resulting in a loss of income and self-confidence. I felt totally lost and alone. My life was a far cry from what I had envisioned my retirement years would look like. It has been said, if you don’t like your life, change it. I found this to be easier said than done. There is much angst in turning your life inside out and upside down. What if it all blows up in your face? As human beings we are hardwired to resist change and to embrace stability and predictability. Therefore, the WHY of change must be powerful and compelling enough for us to risk the possibility of failure. To take the leap, ones’ feet must be on fire!
It was time. I felt a strong need to change where and how I lived. I needed a fresh start. I wanted to find a place where I could be anonymous for a while. After settling in, I wanted to slowly recreate my life, making new friends and regaining my sense of self-esteem and purpose. After an extensive search, and with much fear and trepidation, I decided to move to the picturesque town of Lake Lure, NC. It was a peaceful haven of mountains, waterfalls and fresh air. I found an adorable cabin to rent that had a clawfoot tub and a woodburning fireplace. It was less than ten minutes from the center of town. Ingles grocery store, pharmacy, and gas station were conveniently located just five minutes from my home. A family of deer gathered in my back yard every evening as I enjoyed a glass of wine on the deck. Life was good!
After months of seclusion, when COVID numbers finally dropped significantly, I made my way to the Mountains Branch Library on Bills Creek Road. In the process of getting my library card, I noticed a flyer on the reception desk announcing a “Books and Bites” luncheon at the historic Lake Lure Inn. I learned that this little library was host to many Southern writers as their books were being released. So, I paid my $25.00 and signed up to attend. The author was Karen White, and the book was “Last Night in London.” This was the start of good things to come.
On the morning of July 13, 2021, nearly one year after I had moved to Lake Lure, I was going to my first event. I was full of anxiety and anticipation. I did not know anyone. As I was going up the walkway to the hotel, this lovely dark-haired lady with a beautiful smile looked my way and asked, “Are you attending the luncheon?” We introduced ourselves, and upon hearing I was new to the area, she invited me to sit at her table with a group of her friends. Her name was Laura Krejci, Communication Director, City of Lake Lure. As we chatted over lunch, before the introduction of the speaker, a lady across the table from me asked if I had found a church. When I said that I had not, she invited me to join her at Fairfield Mountains Chapel the following Sunday. Patti Stewart met me outside the church and as we were getting seated, I recognized many of the ladies that had been at the luncheon. After church, Patti introduced me to Lyn Weaver, choir director and Gale Wilson, pianist. Lyn invited me to join the choir. I attended rehearsal the following Wednesday night, and was in the choir loft the next Sunday.
I hope as you read of my experience you will appreciate how life changing one simple invitation can be, and how it can brighten someone’s life. Patti’s invitation introduced me to a wonderful place to worship and sing God’s praises with a choir that became family. I joined the women’s ministry and Bible study groups. I participated in church picnics and fundraisers.
I felt a profound sense of belonging and acceptance in my new community!
Although there was much to celebrate, and I made dear friends, I found that I needed more in terms of arts and culture, restaurants and intellectual stimulation than the small town of Lake Lure could offer. With a heavy heart, and a definite dread of moving again, on March 31, 2022, I made the move to Greenville, SC.
In a little less than two years, my life had changed dramatically. I cherish the time that I spent in Lake Lure. I am still very connected to Fairfield Mountains Chapel, sometimes making the one hour and twenty-minute drive to sing with the choir. I meet my lady friends for lunch on a regular basis. These special relationships will always be a part of my life.
My move to Lake Lure served a purpose. It was my transition time. It was a time that allowed me to realize you can start over and chart a new course. You are never to old to begin again.
My journey has taught me that there are kind and caring people wherever you go. I learned you may not get it right the first time, but that’s o.k. I learned you have to put yourself out there and take some risks to reap the rewards. Just look for a smiling face to welcome you!
How about you? Have you had a pivotal time in your life when you had to face fear head on? What was it like? What did you learn? What advise might you give others? What did you have to let go of to achieve a better future? I look forward to hearing your stories. Let’s connect!