How a trip to Arkansas made me miss my messy life

Last updated on: November 16, 2012 at 7:27 am by Amy Julia Becker

How a trip to Arkansas made me miss my messy life 2012-11-16T07:27:49-05:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Good and Perfect Gift came out in September of 2011, and I embarked on a year of promotional interviews and speaking gigs from Virginia to Washington D.C. to North Carolina to New York City to Michigan to Chicago, and to various local venues in New Jersey and Connecticut. But this year, given our family’s move, I decided to suspend my travel schedule indefinitely.

Except this week. On Wednesday, I traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, for an interview session with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine, cohosts of Family Life Radio. Singer/songwriter/author Jennifer Shaw joined me, and together we recorded two shows about parenting children with special needs. The shows will air in March or April (and I will share a link then).

It felt like going on vacation. Getting from Connecticut to Arkansas is a travel feat, so I left my home on Tuesday morning and I returned Thursday afternoon. I had four hours of time with Family Life, which left dozens of hours on my own.

I got two gloriously uninterrupted nights of sleep.

I read Philippians 1 and prayed for my husband and children and friends in need.

I ran on the treadmill.

I responded to nearly one hundred emails.

I ordered room service.

I read books and magazines.

I sat outside in the sunlight and chatted with an old friend by phone.

I finished editing my upcoming ebook on prenatal testing, wrote a few blog posts, commented on a few other writer’s book proposals, and wrote a letter supporting a new Friendship House initiative in Durham, NC.

Oh, and I started writing a proposal for my next book.

I felt productive, mature, balanced.

And I missed my family.

I missed Marilee’s rendition of Old MacDonald and her insistence that I sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider (“pidah!”) instead of a lullaby at bedtime.

I missed William’s mix of four-year old and grown-up words: “Mom, I don’t think that’s a great option. What if we goed somewhere else?”

I missed Penny’s insistence on a bear hug morning, noon, and night.

I’m incredibly grateful for the break. And incredibly grateful to return to my messy, inefficient, bordering-on-chaotic, life of love.

Previous Post

November 14, 2012

Perfectly Human: My Pirfect Life by Nancy Jo Sullivan

Next Post

November 19, 2012 Help! I’m Getting a New Website

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz