Thankful for Change

It’s finally spring!

Ah, the images spring brings to mind, sweet baby lambs prancing in a meadow, vases overflowing with brightly coloured tulips and sunshine pouring in every window.

Sigh. If only it were that lovely.

In my house it’s more about muddy paw prints on the floor and an inch of dust on every surface exposed to sunlight, and for some reason this time of year the kids seem to outgrow everything at the same time.

I know it’s spring because I’m hearing, “My pants won’t button, by toes hurt, my underwear are too small.”

The kids are changing in other ways too.

The youngest went on her first sleepover, the middle guy is begging for a phone of his own. I admit I didn’t handle it well when the oldest recently came to me and told me he was taking a girl to a dance for the first time. I sent him straight to his father.

The afternoon of the dance a large bouquet of flowers was purchased then deemed too extravagant. The prettiest blooms were plucked out for the lucky girl and the remaining droopy, browning blossoms were handed with great flourish to me. A glimpse into the future, no doubt.

My babies are growing up and they’re welcoming changes and opportunities coming their way. Me, not so much.

Frankly, I find change daunting and exciting at the same time. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize if that lump in the pit of my stomach is trepidation or anticipation.

I’m a creative person, you’d think I could embrace change the way a kid grabs candy, but with age comes wisdom. Change takes a lot of work and it can be scary not being able to predict what comes next.

What if the boy gives the girl the flowers at the dance, they fall madly in love and run off and join a commune together, never to be seen again? I call that ‘worse case scenario’ thinking. Happens to the best of us.

What if you move to your new posting and can’t find a job, the kids never make another new friend and your new neighbours start a feud with you?

But what if you find the best job you’ve ever had, the kids make lifelong friends and your neighbours lend you their brand new snowblower without you even having to ask.

I guess over the years I’ve learned accepting change really comes down to gratitude.

Be thankful for what you have already learned and lived and open yourself up to what comes next.

Be thankful for a new day and a new experience. Maybe you won’t prance in a meadow with a baby lamb, but you can admire your tulips, open up your curtains and turn your face to the sun.