By Marie Tang, Saugus Community Contributor
In the mousy voice of my 4 year old daughter, she sings behind me in the car. We are driving along McBean Parkway and she stops mid-song to ask “do we live in Santa Clarita?” I’m sickened by this question because it’s only the twentieth time I’ve tirelessly said, “Yes honey we live in Santa Clarita now.” I’ve never been a stay at home mom and week number two with three kids in a new home I was organizing was exhausting. We had sold our home in the city to find an area suitable for our young family. With just two visits up to Santa Clarita we eagerly bought a house in Saugus. We had met nice families at restaurants, our realtor was informative and kind, and the Drew Barrymore show “Santa Clarita Diet” made the city even more appetizing (pun intended).
My sister calls me and I answer her call on the Bluetooth so the kids are also engaged in conversation. We talk about our Christmas plans and when we hang up my daughter asks, “How will auntie make it to Santa Clarita?” “I’ll send her our address, so she’ll have directions to get here”. That was not a satisfying response, so she screams back to me “but we’re too far! No one will ever come see us!”
I felt awful. Her little ears picked up on all of my own insecurities about moving to our new home. I had freely said several times that we live very far and that the drive was too long for our friends and family to drop in and see us as much.
I had to right a wrong, so we talked about her new preschool and new friends. She was quick to shrill the words “I can’t wait to make new friends!” When I parked our car in front of our new home I turn to her and she’s got a grin that could make the most cynical person less cynical. Lesson learned. If my four year old can go with the flow. Then so could I. “Mommy there are so many signs that say Santa Clarita. It’s everywhere”. The city name is written on the streets signs and over businesses. At first I thought it was obsessive but then I realized that I need to remember why we moved here. People LOVE this city. With a little more pride I respond in a different tone “yes honey. It’s because we now live in Santa Clarita”. Now I just need to find out how she learned how to read…
Now that we’ve been here for a couple of months I feel really great about our hasty decision and I’m proud of the city I now call home.
