Change is Growth

Change takes place all the time. But for some reason many in our society have a negative reaction to change. Or I should say they have a negative reaction to change they do not like. Changes that we like, we do not really consider to be change, just life getting better. It is the change we do not like that really gets all the bad publicity.

For many, this time of year brings about a lot of change. Our High School Seniors graduate and begin the next leg of their journey. For parents it may feel like they are losing their child, as they become more independent, as their child continues their transition into adulthood.

For others, this is the time of year where months of planning come to fruition. Months have been spent in preparing for the Wedding Day (hopefully they have also spent time preparing for the marriage that comes after that day). Two individuals make vows to each other before family and friends. Two families are joined together. Two people share their lives and their futures with each other. Major changes take place in the relationship between the bride and groom, between the happy couple and their families.
For many in our community there have been changes through the loss of a loved one.
Our bodies change every day as old cells die and new ones take their place, as hair falls out and new ones take their place, as we ingest food to help us survive, burning calories or storing them for future use…

Change can be a good thing. Change is growth. To be honest there are times I do not like change. For instance, I have been noticing that the hair on my head seems to be creeping backwards, and I have noticed that hair is appearing in places that are not as wanted. I know that is small potatoes when it comes to the changes in life, and the circumstances many of you are dealing with. At times change is more of an inconvenience than it is real change.

Change is growth, not always the growth we want, but it is growth. Once we stop growing we start dying. I know that change is coming. Soon my kids will be out of school for the summer. Soon we will be spending more time in the backyard and at our new city park. And much sooner than we think we will see our kids go back to school and face the changes of new classes, new teachers, a new school building…. I don’t know what change will take place today, tomorrow, this week, next month, this summer…but I do look forward to seeing the changes and the growth in my children, and I hope to see some changes and growth in myself. How about you? What types of changes are you anticipating? Are you dreading them, or looking forward to the growth they bring?