copping the curved ball

[Gumleaf]

so late this afternoon my parents both got home from work earlish and took advantage of this by coming over to me and saying we need to talk about something. when i hear that, i always get worried about whats up. anyways, they told me that they are seriously thinking about us moving back to newcastle, which is the city i grew up in and love. they pointed out all the advantages of it, such as me being with my old friends again, being close to our relatives and other related stuff. the thing is, as much as i love my home city, i have built myself a new life in sydney now. i have my girlfriend here, who is also the best friend i've ever had, that i love to bits. i have lots of friends here, i've started to get used to all this and now it feels like the carpet is going to get pulled from under me. how am i going to tell joanne that i might be moving? i'll be seriously crushed, and she will be very upset too. anyways, i told my parents that i don't want to go, but i doubt that will have any influence. i'm so scared i'm going to lose the best thing in my life right now, being my joanne. why is it that everytime in life when you are happy with life that i throws you a curved ball that screws everything up? the only good news is that the earliest we will move is january, so at least that buys me some time. i hate life sometimes!!!

[Rutherford The Brave]

Stephen, I'm sorry I know you love Joanne. The only thing I can think of to do is to spend alot of time with her. Ease her into it just tell her you love her so very much. Life is tough, I got thrown a curveball and look where I am, an exhausted father. Point is maybe life is trying to teach you something. Once again Stephen, I'm sorry.

[byee]

I can't imagine a worse thing for you to be told, Stephen. I'm really sorry for you, you must be devastated.

The move sounds tentative, though, they're not quite sure about it yet, which of course makes it even harder to prepare for. I think a good first step before you talk with Jo about it is to go back to them and have them define it all a little more for you: Why it might happen, how it came about (all the reasons), and what they think the chances are of it actually happening, and when it probably would. By getting as much info as possible, you at least deal with the ambiguity of it, have a clearer sense of it all. This makes planning for it easier, and will help when you tell Jo, as I'm sure she'll want to know a lot of these things, too.

In the end, though, there's a lot out there that's unpredictable, and we have to deal with and adjust to it, and some of it we don't know is coming, we don't have the luxury of at least planning for it. dont dwell on it, January is a ways off, just enjoy the time you are together, and as it gets closer, sart dealing with the impending seperations and losses. That'll be hard, but not as hard b/c you at least have this time to prepare yourself .

[Gumleaf]

well when we moved down to sydney, it was suppossed to be temporary, probably for about 5 years while my dad built his business up down here. so the reasoning i know, and jo already knows that there was/is the possibility that we would have to move again, although thats something we talked about when we were only friends like 2 years ago, so she's probably forgotten all about it now. newcastle is our home and will always fell like home in my heart but i can't turn my back on joanne most importantly and the other things i have here now. i still haven't told jo anything yet, but i promised myself i will tonight. she has a netball elimination final today so i want her to be focused on that and then i'l tell her tonight, but i'm not looking forward to it. its funny how my parents know how to ruin my life!!!!

[AutumnDae]

I'm sure your parents aren't meaning for this to cause you all the problems.

Have you talked to them about the reasons why you want to stay here? That might make a difference, it might not.

I don't really have much more advice, I have never been through this experience.

[Maxismax123]

Try a long distance relationship with Joanne for a while and try to visit Sydney for like at least a month every Summer or Winter.