#loveBig Foundation, Inc and the Paris Family have relocated from Versailles, KY to Louisville, KY. 60 miles, 1hour difference, a world away… Sarah’s family is in Louisville, as is, Olivia Paris and so the attraction to take advantage of the strong housing market was too great and we just did it. Literally, we decided on a Monday, listed on a Tuesday, put the sign in the yard on Friday, posted online at 6pm Friday night, and Saturday night we were under contract. The next 36 days are a blur. We had to find a new place to live. When the housing market is strong for sales, it is tougher and more expensive to buy so that was the first thing we had to address. We needed a place to lay our heads. Next was a flurry of appraisals, inspections, selling of all things needed for six acres that aren’t needed in the “city”, and the clean out of the past 12 years of our lives. That was no joke! It took a 30 yd dumpster and numerous trips to various donation and recycling sites. While packing, we pushed ourselves to embrace minimalization.
During the process, the few friends that knew we took this on asked, “how are you doing with this?”. Frankly, we were so crazy busy and exhausted, we took that question in relation to all the moving parts and coordinated efforts required for a move. That question, of course we don’t know the true intent, took on a new meaning for us as we closed the garage doors for the last time and opened new ones. “This” became about a change that went from a quick gut punch to a leaking of water from the eyes to a commitment to carve a place for Jack in our new home. Once the dust settled and we could breathe, all the feels crept in. While Jack was missed every day at the Paris Ranch, we had plenty of reminders that brought us joy.
While we complained that six acres was a lot to keep up with without his help, mowing that six acres was an opportunity to remember teaching him to mow and weed eat and work outside. He was notorious for needing to step inside to use the bathroom and disappearing for hours- ADHD at its best.
When we opened the pantry door, we smiled at the thought of the half drank coke bottle that he left on the shelf while getting a snack forgetting that it was there until we found it later. The chips in the drywall of the play room that reminded us of his drumming jam sessions, the slam of the backdoor, walking down the hallway with the memory of AXE spray that swept the hallway behind him, the greasy handprint that he left on my office door frame May 13th on his way out the door when he stopped to tell me he loved me for the last time…gut punch.
Then the stuff… the stuff you keep because it was his or he touched it or used it… but why are we keeping a random lacrosse ball or a catapult he built in sixth grade? Why his little tonka trucks that were still dirt filled in our store room from years before? Why the drumsticks to the drums we donated to the church? None of this stuff is going to bring him back or move him with us. The pieces of him that we want with us are the pictures, the memories, and his big heart.
The big heart did move with us! His story continues with the #loveBIG Foundation. The address changed, but the mission did not. We never narrowed down our service area to just one town or city because we all know Jack didn’t stay in just one place. He went on adventures for fun and to help others. #loveBIG can be housed anywhere and is our opportunity to tell his story. As we unpack and weave in his pictures and the mementos we did bring into our new home, there are tears that he was never here and a feeling that we moved on without him, but we have to purposefully bring him with us by being intentional with our actions and the work of the #loveBIG Foundation. One thing we have all learned during 2020 is that anything can be done virtually! We have accepted requests and filled requests from the foundation virtually this year and look forward to continuing to do so without boundaries- Versailles or Louisville makes no difference. #loveBIG does not have one home or place, it has no boundaries all we have to do is be willing to go on an adventure and #loveBIG wherever we are or there is a need we can meet.