Seasons of Life: A Season of Change

Not every season is on the calendar.

Change and I haven't always been the best of friends.

Growing up, my life was pretty steady. I lived in the same home until I left for college, and there was something comforting about knowing what—and who—would be there each day.

As I entered the workforce, moved through different stages of adulthood, and simply gained more life experience, change became easier. I learned that I could adapt. That something ending didn't necessarily mean something was wrong. And that sometimes the things I hadn't planned for became important parts of my story.

But even now, depending on what the change is, I can still find it difficult.

And I'm learning that's okay.

Making Room for Change

Something my therapist has said has stayed with me: when change is difficult, acknowledge that it's difficult—and then move forward.

Don't pretend the feelings aren't there. Don't push them aside because you think you should be handling things differently. Feel them, acknowledge them, and then allow yourself to keep going.

I've learned that ignoring the hard parts doesn't make them disappear. Often, it simply makes them a heavier burden to carry later.

There's a freedom in being able to say, This is hard for me.

And then, when you're ready, asking, What might be waiting for me on the other side of this?

These days, I'm trying to approach change a little differently. Instead of immediately wishing things could stay the way they were, I'm trying to remain open to the possibility that something good can come from what is changing.

Not every change will feel good. Not every ending will immediately reveal a new beginning.

But I want to leave room for what might come next.

When Change Is in Season

Right now, change seems to be very much in season in my life.

My children are growing up. Two have graduated from college and entered the working world, and my youngest is in her third year of college.

After so many years when the rhythms of our family revolved around raising children—school schedules, activities, meals, vacations, milestones, and all the ordinary moments in between—the rhythm is changing.

I'm incredibly proud of the lives they're building.

And yet, there can still be a little ache in watching one chapter of family life become another.

Both things can be true.

At the same time, I'm experiencing a change of my own.

I've let go of the career path I followed for so many years and stepped into something entirely different with Savoring the Seasons. I'm learning new things, stretching myself creatively, and discovering what this next chapter might look like.

After 30 years of marriage, my husband and I are changing, too. We're still the same two people who have shared all these years together, but we're discovering a different version of life as our children grow and our own priorities and routines shift.

Thirty years together—and there is still something new to discover.

Maybe that's one of the unexpected gifts of change.

Nature Never Stays the Same

Nature reminds us of this constantly.

A tree doesn't hold onto its leaves because they were beautiful in summer. Flowers bloom and fade. Days grow longer and then shorter again. A garden that looks one way in June can look entirely different by September.

Nothing stays exactly as it was.

And yet, we don't look at autumn and think summer somehow failed.

We appreciate it for what it was—and then we begin noticing the beauty of what comes next.

I'm trying to do the same with my own life.

To appreciate the chapters that have passed without wishing so hard for them to return that I miss the one I'm living now.

Savoring What Comes Next

The truth is, nothing stays the same.

Our children grow. Careers evolve. Relationships change. Homes change. Bodies change. Friendships change. Dreams change. We change.

For someone who once found so much comfort in things staying the same, I'm beginning to understand that a life without change would also be a life without so much of the growth, discovery, and joy that make it meaningful.

I don't want to spend this chapter looking backward and wishing I could hold onto what was.

I want to enjoy every aspect of this life—the familiar and the new, the comfortable and the uncertain, the endings and the beginnings.

I'm sure there will still be changes I resist. There will be moments when I need time to acknowledge that something is difficult before I'm ready to move forward.

But I'm learning that embracing change doesn't mean we have to love every part of it.

Sometimes it simply means allowing ourselves to feel what we feel, loosening our grip on what was, and remaining curious about what might be ahead.

Because every season eventually changes.

And there is still so much life to savor in the season that's coming next.

What change are you learning to make room for in this season of your life?

Happy savoring,

Angeline