As much as we might wish it, nothing stays the same. It never did. And now, everything changes so quickly, and often, it may feel impossible to keep up both physically and emotionally.
Often we pretend it isn’t happening, thinking that if change doesn’t affect us directly, perhaps we can sit it out. We may even say no to it, perhaps like this, “Okay, the rest of the world is changing. Not me. Not now. Not ever.”
But it will find us. We can’t hide from it. And then what? Resist? You know what the Borgs say, “Resistance is futile.”
So if change is going to pull us into it, whether we want it or not, what can we do to deal with it? How can we learn to love it, embrace it, maybe even celebrate it?
Earlier this month, I stood in our backyard and watched the trees swaying in the wind. It was one of those perfect fall days. The sun was shining, the air was crisp but not cold, and all the intricately colored leaves flew through the air like butterflies, and then fluttered down like rain.
I was once again, as I am every autumn, struck how beautiful fall is.
Sometimes I can’t decide if I love spring or fall best. Fall with the blaze of color that takes my breath away, or spring with the flush of new growth, daffodils bobbing, the abundant hues of the color green, and sprouts poking out of the ground, revealing more of themselves each day.
These are two very different seasons, with a few things in common.
Both spring and fall take forever to arrive. And once they do, they are gone in a flash. The peak of fall color and the abundance of spring blooms don’t last long.
We love these two seasons. They are beautiful. What we forget is that both of these seasons are seasons of change.
Everyday. Every moment. Things are changing.
It’s chaos, really. But, a beautiful chaos that evolves into the next season with its less visible signs of change. But changes are always going on, making each day, each moment, different than the last.
But what about life changes?
All change brings its moments of chaos. It was like this, and now it isn’t.
Instead of resisting it, why don’t we step into and enjoy the beautiful chaos of life the same way we enjoy spring and fall?
Perhaps it’s harder because the changes in our lives are more personal. It doesn’t hurt when a leaf falls. It does often hurt when change happens in our life.
But since we can’t stop change, perhaps we can see it as a season. We can let go in the same way a leaf lets go, or grow into something fresh and new the same way a sprout does in the spring.
Sometimes we look back on a change we may have resisted, and realize that without that first change the following events that we liked, could not have happened. We can see that change has blessed us, and others, in spite of ourselves.
But what if we could see the beauty of change while change is happening? And maybe even feel the beauty in that change. The same way we feel it standing under a tree of living color, or smelling the first daffodil of the season.
Perhaps then change would not be something that we fear and dislike, but something we accept as part of life. And as part of life, it must be beautiful. We can become connoisseurs of change and feel, see, and enjoy the beauty in it.
It’s a much better choice and a happier way to live. It does take practice to find the beauty in change, but we have abundant opportunities to do so.
Might as well start now.
BECA LEWIS coaches, teaches, writes blogs and books, plays with art, and is addicted to reading. She lives in Ohio with her husband and has kids and grandkids scattered across the country.
