Goodbye Greeley

Leaving Greeley feels like ending a favorite book. Reading the final line is bittersweet, because it is the end of something good and beautiful that you have grown to cherish over the time you have spent with it. Last night, Sam and I had our last meeting with our small group from Summitview Community Church. We ate together, played games together, prayed together, and finished off the night singing a hymn together. The tears were flowing as we gave all our friends hugs goodbye.

As we drove to our apartment, we passed by our old place on 12th Ave--the pink stucco building that people recognized by the color alone. I can still remember how blessed we were to find that place, after fruitless searching for an affordable apartment when we were first looking at moving to Greeley. I remember the anxiety I had, my initial "unsafe" feelings about moving to a "big city", and my breakdown outside of Moody's American Grill (which later became Doug's Diner) because I was afraid and discouraged that we would never find a place to live.

But God provided a place to stay--overnight we checked Craig's List to find that there was an apartment within our price range that was in a clean, safe neighborhood, close to the school.

So we said goodbye to family and friends, packed up all our belongings, and drove the 3 1/2 hours away from our Nebraska town to pursue higher education in a college city. At that time, we were unemployed, planning on waiting a year for in-state residency before Sam began college courses, and we unexpectedly found out we were pregnant the second month of moving in to our new (tiny) apartment.

But God provided for us even after my doctor's bills came back saying that my parent's insurance I was on would not cover maternity costs. We got taken care of by financial aid, and we both stayed unemployed until right after we found out our first baby had died as a blighted ovum miscarriage. Almost immediately after we found out the news, Sam was hired at Gamestop for a seasonal job--so he was able to be there with me through the initial loss and grief and then make some income over the holidays. Even when that job gave out, God still provided for us down to our last $1000 in the bank that we had saved up until we both got hired at Chick-fil-A.

Early on, we only knew a couple people who lived in Greeley: Seth Toller, Sam's best friend from childhood who was attending UNC, and Nicole Harwell--Nicole having grown up in the same mountain county as my husband. Though they both were very amazing, I really struggled for a long time with deep loneliness and a desire to grow deeper friendships.

In time, God provided for that too.

We started attending St. Pat's Presbyterian church (the church Nicole and her husband attend). We were gifted with a warm, vibrant community with a heart for their city. Through that church, we got to meet some dear friends and we started attending a weekly "art guild" meeting and knitting group at John Galt Coffee shop where we got to experience the creative side of this city known mainly for its meat packing plant and agriculture.

A lot happened in those early years. Our first miscarriage rocked our world and we dealt with ongoing grief like we'd never experienced. Through that loss, I wrote my second book--a nonfiction about our story with pregnancy loss and the many other women's stories that I came across. We made friends at church and through CFA. I had my first art show at a coffee shop. Sam started his schooling. We bought a new car. It's crazy to look back on those years and remember just how many different things we did and grew from.

There are years where I remember a lot that happened, and some that I don't remember hardly anything. I remember lots of regular guests who would come into Chick-fil-A and get the same thing every time. I remember when I'd read my Bible outside in the backyard "she-shed" that our landlords built. I remember lots of walks around Glenmere park, eating pizza with craft beer at Right Coast, Coffee dates at Margie's, fostering a fat little dog named Millie, taking part in "Dressember", and attempting to grow my own (pitiful) garden. I remember watching the Harry Potter series for the first time with Seth, Talking for hours with Dorothy, going on walks with Abby, laughing with Sharon, writing and knitting with Char; and feeling so much love and care from so many friends after losing both of our babies. I remember when we decided to go to another church with a friend from work and the many blessings and friends Summitview has given us too. I remember the summer I was always going to the farmer's market, and the many amazing trips to Esh's for discount groceries. I remember the ways God provided for us financially--through hospital bills to Sam's college fund.

I remember a lot of things... A lot of memories that maybe only really matter to me. I'm not sure how to make a post about reminiscing both distinct enough, but also broad enough to give a good picture of what this city and it's people have come to mean to us.

Greeley has become our home.

And now we have to leave.

Don't get me wrong, just because my heart grieves what was, does not mean I am unwilling to begin this new chapter and reap its fullness. I know that wherever we go, God will be ahead of us, ready to provide as He has over and over.

It's just hard to say goodbye.

I am at the point where I just want the moving process to be over. I can't wait to be out of our current apartment and get on to the next thing. But when I slow down long enough, I do get really emotional about it.

Greeley will always be a place that I love, with people that I love inside it. A good chunk of life was lived here--almost the entirety of Sam and my married life.

We will miss you, Greeley; your people, your places, and yes, even that terrible smell that shows up now and again that reminded us where we lived. ;) We appreciate all you have had to show us.

Goodbye Greeley, until we meet again!

-RNM