It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

I have been a member of the Y since 2005 when we lived in Charlotte. In CLT, my workouts were lunch breaks and I was very focused on getting in and back to work in an allotted amount of time. 

Since moving to the Chattanooga area seven years, the Y became an unexpected place of friendship. While I navigated those early years of motherhood, I would diligently go to the Y and stay afterward to let my kids play at the playground there. 

In those workouts and play times, I chose to put my phone away and be vulnerable and make friends with other moms who were doing the same thing. I have to tell you, I have made friends with some of the very best people over the years. And over the years, some of these families have moved away.

Today was a last workout with one of these families. We are happy for them but sad for us. We have had so many memories together at the Y that have morphed into homeschooling side by side. 

When we first met, we tentatively got acquainted through workouts and on the playground at the Y. Since we were obviously all homeschooling we settled into conversation about how it was going and what methods we were using.

Eventually our family ended up joining their family's homeschool co-op (we didn't realize it at first!). Co-op meant weekly meet ups outside of the Y. Which led to field trips and weekly hikes.

Due to Covid at the end of March of 2020, we took a break from real life interaction for about three months, but in June we were back at the Yworking out in the parking lot together, letting our kids play. We would bring bikes and scooters and games and the kids found ways to entertain themselves.

Once school started back up, we began meeting every Monday afternoon for playground dates with other co-op moms.

Over the last school year we have spent so many Monday afternoons freezing at parks, but it has been a lifesaver. We kept up with the weekly hikes and have had so many adventures together over the last year.

 

 

I don’t know what my kids will do without their buddies to play with while I work out. It’s the end of a season and we are sad to see it go. 

Weekly Hike: Rainbow Lake

 

 

 

Every week anywhere between five and fifteen other moms and their kids join me and my boys on our weekly hikes.

These meetups are one of the best parts of my week. The hikes help the kids learn their limits and give them a chance to try hard things. And for the moms, it is life giving in the sense that we get a chance to visit and catch up and support each other through the hard parts of life, as well as the wins.

 

This week has been a hard week. A family we met through the YMCA three years ago, and whom we have homeschooled alongside the last couple of years, is moving back to where they used to live before Chattanooga. 

 

 

 

It is bittersweet. We all know it is a good move for the family, but they have become our people too.

Every Monday afternoon we have met up for freezing, and hot, play dates at local parks. 

 

 

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have worked out at the Y together while our kids have played. This year that has meant workouts in the parking lot with our kids running wild playing and exploring and inventing new games while we took time to do something for ourselves. 

 

 

And every Wednesday we have met up for hikes all over the Tennessee Valley. 

 

And sometimes we had the bonus of even managing to hang out on Fridays.

 

We are so sad to see them go. The McClure family will always hold a special place in our hearts. Hopefully they will come back and join us on a hike sometime.

 

This was the 16th hike (16/52) for the year and we covered 2 miles bringing total miles for this year to 47.