Change

Every time I turn around, something changes. That seems awful cliché but so be it, it needed to be said. Having two kids at home makes that statement rather obvious but beyond that, life seems to change moment by moment and usually doesn’t ask first. I’m not sure I would know how to respond if given the choice but who knows, it might be fun.

With the New Year, change is inevitable. Of course, if you bought into the idea that the world was going to end a couple of weeks ago, this New Year is a bit of a surprise. Outside of that nonsense, a calendar change means many things, not the least of which is having to remember the right month and day when writing checks. Other timely reminders are knowing that soon I will have to brave the card selection at the store for Valentine’s Day. Right now I’m doing my best to keep from running over there as I write this. For a change, maybe I’ll make my own card this year.

Change is typically a good thing for all involved. When asked, a lot of people eschew change as a pariah but if you were able to live on someone’s shoulder during and after major changes you would discover a different story. Certainly there are times when change is so drastic that it alters our every step but even then, the renewed outlook is the one thing we fail to see until afterwards and then we simply take it for granted after a while, as if it were always that way. What I’m saying is that change is almost always a good thing.

The process can be painful however, and we would do well to be sensitive to those whose lives are turned upside down. The truth is that change is not always easy, sometimes it rips us apart. But here’s what I’m learning: after I get through the storm and am able to look back on that which changed in my life, I have a perspective I didn’t know existed, I have experience, I have definition.

The trick is seeing past the change to the other side, where things settle down and life gets back to normal, or at least back to tolerable. Something else I’m learning during major life changes is the discovery of new or renewed friendships. Some of the greatest conversations have taken place during the most tumultuous of times, when change is at its peak. Maybe people just intuitively know when to jump in because that’s how it feels. And maybe I’ve done the same thing, I want to believe that.

And that’s what I want to be most, the constant in the sea of change, like a lighthouse. When we’re going through choppy seas that change our course we want to know there’s something out there that will help us steer clear of even bigger troubles. In those moments I think we honestly reach out for help in finding our way. We know that change is coming, there’s no avoiding it, but knowing there just might be a helping hand makes it seem a little less daunting of a challenge.

Embrace the change this New Year. Practice writing the date so you don’t mess up any checks. And practice listening for those around you who might be facing a change they weren’t prepared for; they may need your light.