Embrace Change

A reminder around my neck. Embrace on one side; change on the other.

Life has a way of tugging us to a different direction despite our reluctance to change course. Whether the impetus comes in the form of an illness, a break-up, a job shift, or an unfortunate bereavement, the force is always painful. It is and will always be a challenging transition to deal with, let alone face. It is never a simple equation where there is one formula to arrive at an answer. Sometimes, the answer even changes along the way. There is no one solution in life. Nothing is constant, only death and birth. All the things in between are complex variables altogether.

As nomads finding our place in this ever-changing world, we are not stuck in one place. The journey is unpredictable; reaching the destination is uncertain. And the forks we encounter along the way mark crucial points in our biographies. On one side, commonplace presents the comfortable box we've built where every thing is familiar and every deed  a routine. On the other, the unknown shows us the vast expanse of endless possibilities, yet clouded with doubts and fears we impressed upon it. Which has a greater pull? Which side are we on? We have to decide sooner or later where we want to be.

BUT most of the time, fate shakes us to our very core by deliberately pushing us to uncharted waters, even if we do not have a life vest on or the raft that will carry us ashore. Change comes when we least expect it. It never waits for anybody to be ready. It just strikes whenever, wherever it wishes. But it always has a purpose. Nothing happens by chance; everything for a reason.

Are we ever prepared for anything, anyway? Are we primarily built as resilient beings, armed enough for the changes that go our way? We would not stand upright if we never took the risk of falling. We would not build friendships if we shied away from strangers. And we would not love if we never opened our hearts to another. No one really knows what happens next until the person takes that first step. And the initial step, creating that space for something new to spring forth, is the scariest undertaking and the most painful of all. For change only happens when the person finally lets go and accepts that it is time to move forward. A sad finality may cause a lump in one's throat but it is a necessary conclusion nonetheless. Stories have to end, too.

Embrace change. That is all there is to it. It is a tall order, I know. But we have to carry on. After all, there is beauty in the nuances each transition brings. And there is a sense of hope in the changing of the seasons.


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