Embracing Change

What's wrong with change? After all, the world has been changing since it's been on its axis. So if we want to move beyond dinosaurs, we need to stop our relic behavior.

We change from the moment we are born. That beautiful little melted butter spot on the nose fades from peach to plum , to pimples.

We change our friends from elementary school through the years of college and beyond.

We change our minds constantly. And we don't complain to ourselves when we're in doubt.
We arrive at the conclusion that everyone else is uninformed.

We change marital partners on a whim.

We change candidates every so often.And often not enough.

We change the names of sports teams.
We change our language to become more politically correct.


The biggest change I noticed over the years was the weight shifting without permission. I feed my body on demand. I give it whatever it likes. So why does it have such a bad disposition and turn on me?

How about those extra trimmings on our bodies. And I'm not talking tattoos. From the uninvited hair on the lips, to the ones in the ears, nose and god knows where else? What do we do with those intruders?


But when it comes to change, we create our own rules and standards. We create a life script during our childhood and often expect it to be exactly that way.

We'll be happy.
We'll be rich
We'll marry,have 2 perfect children , a magnificent home, two plus fantastic

cars, a dog, and a nanny
We'll live till the age of centurion..with all our teeth.

Nothing wrong with optimism.

But circumstances change in second . It doesn't take a second to make us depressed. The marriage fails, the spouse gets sick, the child is a hellion, the subprime mortgages fail, the dog bites, and the Nanny is flirting with the next door neighbor instead of taking care of your child.

But who said what we pictured was accurate? If that were the case there would be no wars, and illness would be history.

The last couple of decades have brought my husband and I a few surprises. We have had to change our careers, our plans for our future, and our plans for a traditional retirement. The bombshell keeps erupting. Some of our friends have asked if we live under a dark cloud. My husband says, he's positive the sun shines somewhere south and he intends to find it.

My husband is a man of character. He loves his past,he's great at managing the present, and looks forward always to the future. He's been successful in the eyes of business and he's been a hard worker, and great father, and a wonderful husband. He's succeeded in his twenties, thirties, forties, and fifties. Late fifties, financial changes caused a pit in our stomachs, and a change in the direction of living. He and I challenged fate, and began our own businesses. It took close to a decade to build up what we lost.

Attitude adjustment and embracing change is what we have come to learn works.And a sense of humor.

This spouse of mine does not blame, scorn, nor shame. We both believe that events that occur outside of our control create a ripple effect that forces us to challenge our beliefs.


Raising a toddler, lets us know that change is inevitable. One minute she's is as happy as a lark. The next minute, she says, "Nana, don't look at me". This quickly shifts into a mantra of "I wanna sleep in your bed."
If you haven't raised a teen, you don't know what you are in for when you think of change? The moods fluctuate at a moment's notice. Parents usually go crazy thinking they are at fault for the clash. Yet it's the job of a teen to create the ripples, and ride the waves. It's the job of a parent to help separate and observe the growing pains. If you survive, you've earned the award for embracing change.

Marriage can create such wholeness and bliss inside us. A sudden loss of a spouse, or child shatters our dreams. We are outraged! Devastated! The plethora of memories are fond, and fade to fewer and fewer. The early prophetic thoughts we once created in our childhood, challenges us. Some say "Man Plans and God Laughs!"

I speak to people on a daily basis. People open up. Whether it is social, personal, professional, it's all about the same thing. How do I get through this terrible thing that has happened?

I don't know the answer. And that's good. Because the answer is to stop answering. One breath at a time, hold the hand of a toddler, raise a hand to help someone, step out of your comfort zone, laugh at least on time a day at yourself, find a person you admire, give a hug to someone who needs it , be outlandish, and hold the hand of that toddler. You may need the hug too.