Today my dear friend asked if she could come along to Thailand with me in bag. I would definitely take her, and her whole beautiful family, if I could.
We have gotten to know this wonderful Karen family in Oklahoma City. I do crafting with the mother, two oldest daughters, and sometimes the son and littlest daughter. We also take Karen lessons from the oldest girls on Thursday nights, which sometimes turn into family events of Karen bingo, UNO, and ice cream sundaes. We have the kids over some evenings for movies, or we’ll go over for games or baking treats. All in all, I’ve just fallen in love with all of them. They are so wonderfully happy, the best workers I’ve met, and a beautiful picture of family sticking together through everything. 
I can’t imagine leaving. We broke the news to the girls (who then translate it to the rest of the family) earlier in July, and it’s been an odd subject. It’s odd to discuss our moving to Thailand, a place they cannot go. I keep reminding myself and them that we’ll keep in touch through facebook, emails, and Skype. We anticipate them getting citizenship in five years so they can travel to visit me! And those these things are good, it’s yet another thing we’re leaving behind.
Somedays it seems we’re leaving everything: sisters, parents, beautiful little nieces and nephews, dear friends, grandparents we don’t even get to see enough now, my amazing boss and job, a city we’ve grown to love. Even the small things like good smelling soap, a hot shower, fancy dresses, and Target.
But then, other days, it seems so natural, and it doesn’t seem like we’re sacrificing much at all. I can see that I don’t need the small things and look forward to the sweetness of returning to our families with genuinely deserved thankfulness.
All this to say, meet this beautiful family. I just might be squeezing them into my bag.
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