A job well done – The view from the edge of our empty nest.

Calvin’s Journey

Calvin was born in 2011, the same year my husband died, but I didn’t meet Cal until 2014. Before I met him, his “job” was to be at my future husband’s side as he and his family transitioned through a post-divorce lifestyle, parent-child separation, and some very difficult experiences. To say these were some of our most challenging years in life cannot be overstated.

I met Calvin when my now-husband and I reunited and eventually married. That was ten years ago. We merged furniture, children, and pets into one household in 2015. What a mess that was! Remember the Brady Bunch? That was fiction.

Two of the kids were already adults and had moved on to early adulthood. Two of them visited us occasionally. Two of them lived with us full-time. We also combined our menagerie of three dogs and four cats into one living space. We have all learned a lot about how messy life can be.

Four years ago to the day, we moved into our fifth-wheel trailer and launched another life adventure, zigzagging across the United States. By this time, all the kids were grown and only two of our dogs and a cat remained (two other of our cats moved out with two of our kids).

These loyal pets have loved every mile of our adventures – the good ones and the bad ones. They adjusted to the changes and grew to adore the ever-changing scenery and smells. One of those pets was Calvin, and yesterday was the end of his journey with us. Calvin saw us through some of the worst and best of our life journeys. Yesterday evening, he went on to his next adventure. We share a faith of life everafter, so while he will rest forever in our hearts, we also know where he is for eternity. Ask me how I know…