Another graduation season is upon us. Change has been our constant companion this year. Going from one graduation year straight into another graduation year has been complex. There were many beginnings and many endings. Many sad times and many times filled with rejoicing and celebration.

As much as I’d like for things to stay the same, I am fully aware that change can never end. Let’s look at a few reasons.

1. Change brings new beginnings. I would not have a husband now if I didn’t want things to change as I was growing up. I loved my family growing up, but I wanted a family of my own. This required me to change my status of being single to being married. Is marriage great? Yep. Would I have known about marriage had I not changed? Nope.
2. Change brings new opportunities. Just like getting married, I would not have known the love of three children without change. With each new kid (change), we had different opportunities that were brought to the table because of their unique perspectives. With each of these new perspectives, we were made aware of things around us that we previously overlooked.
3. Change brings new appreciations. I appreciate green trees more when I know they are getting ready to turn colors. I appreciate the colors more when I realize they are getting ready to fall off of the tree. When someone dies, I appreciate those around me more than before.
4. Change brings new understandings. When you’ve been through many changes and see what that does to you and to your personality, you’ll be more understanding to those around you who are going through many changes. You feel the stress or excitement of change and you can understand someone else’s stress or excitement. You tend to dish out a bit more grace to others going through changes.
5. Change brings new endings. This might sound strange to put into words, but you can’t have change without endings. Once a child starts walking (beginning), they usually stop crawling (ending). When a kid graduates (ending), that means they start their new life in work or college (beginning).

Beginnings, opportunities, appreciations, understandings, and endings are all thanks to change. Without change, we would be stuck on the exact second for the rest of our lives! That would be weird.

How do we deal with change? Embrace it. Realize where change brought you from, be appreciative of the new opportunities before you, join with others and help them understand change. In the sadness of the endings, know that there is a bud waiting to bloom and realize that endings are only signals of something beginning. New life. New opportunities. New appreciations. New understandings.

Where do you need to change today?

© 2019 Susan M. Sims

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