Life is movement, change, and continual transformation. If everything stayed the same life would not only be boring, it would cease to exist. When you are challenged with changes in your life that seemingly “come out of the blue,” or are initiated by external forces or that you are unprepared for, it is natural to put on the brakes and resist. Sometimes change is hard to understand. As Alan Watts says, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” These days I am feeling the quick motion of life sweeping me off my feet into an entirely new realm and the only thing I can do is go with the flow. Jumping into this river of life can be demanding because it can be so easy and comfortable to stay on the shore of what is known....
The only Way to make sense out of Change is to Plunge into it, Move with it,
and Join the Dance" ~ Alan Watts
I’ve had my share of uncomfortable and sad moments with the process of moving out of my home and town that I’ve known for 24 years. Yet, even this town is not the same as when I first moved here. It has changed big time. The slow paced lifestyle of a small country mining town has turned into an upscale hip gathering mecca drawing people into its vortex of dynamic energy. There are still the hometown parades but now the downtown is buzzing with lively restaurants that are filled every day and hour of the week. Community has a new face. The personality of the town has changed reflecting the current wave of lifestyle embodied by a new generation of occupants.
I realize my nostalgia is for a time that has passed and I am feeling the same pangs for "what was" that my grandmother felt when she left her farm for a half acre in town. That was downsizing for her. Whatever change in breadth and scope of place or circumstance is an adjustment. The faster pace of life with more cars, more people, houses stacked edge to edge and lack of space is something I am reluctant to face. Adapt I must and adapt I will.
My heart is full even as it aches. I am cherishing thousands of precious moments of love, beauty, and memories that have added such richness to my life. I am not the same person that first laid eyes upon this plot of land. I have grown and changed; my family and friends have grown and changed too. These eyes have always appreciated the process of creation and growth and I see the beauty in what has transpired not just in the land but mostly in the hearts of my companions and neighbors. Are we more loving....more caring? Our shared experience of life has mellowed our hard line ideals. We have grown together....raised our children, helped one another in times of need, and been involved in giving time and energy to our schools and community, forging an unspoken but deeply felt bond of trust and understanding. We have matured and learned how to forgive and let go of expectations.
There is a sense of completion in this phase of life. One by one the original families that settled in our little hamlet are selling their homes as their grown children venture into the world. Families with young children are moving in. Their spirit infuses these streets with fresh stimulating energy. I hear the sounds of laughter and giggling as the children play games in the meadow and feel reassured of the continuity of life. "The beat goes on" with the humming rhythm of the eternal cycle. What comes next, I do not know. Life holds the promise of utterly unique metamorphosis and diversity. So, I take the plunge and dance, dance, dance into my beautiful life of infinite possibility. May you too treasure each incomparable moment, let go of regret, find the power in forgiveness, notice the good, appreciate kindness, see the beauty in the unfolding transformation and dance into the never ending journey of change.
I realize my nostalgia is for a time that has passed and I am feeling the same pangs for "what was" that my grandmother felt when she left her farm for a half acre in town. That was downsizing for her. Whatever change in breadth and scope of place or circumstance is an adjustment. The faster pace of life with more cars, more people, houses stacked edge to edge and lack of space is something I am reluctant to face. Adapt I must and adapt I will.
My heart is full even as it aches. I am cherishing thousands of precious moments of love, beauty, and memories that have added such richness to my life. I am not the same person that first laid eyes upon this plot of land. I have grown and changed; my family and friends have grown and changed too. These eyes have always appreciated the process of creation and growth and I see the beauty in what has transpired not just in the land but mostly in the hearts of my companions and neighbors. Are we more loving....more caring? Our shared experience of life has mellowed our hard line ideals. We have grown together....raised our children, helped one another in times of need, and been involved in giving time and energy to our schools and community, forging an unspoken but deeply felt bond of trust and understanding. We have matured and learned how to forgive and let go of expectations.
There is a sense of completion in this phase of life. One by one the original families that settled in our little hamlet are selling their homes as their grown children venture into the world. Families with young children are moving in. Their spirit infuses these streets with fresh stimulating energy. I hear the sounds of laughter and giggling as the children play games in the meadow and feel reassured of the continuity of life. "The beat goes on" with the humming rhythm of the eternal cycle. What comes next, I do not know. Life holds the promise of utterly unique metamorphosis and diversity. So, I take the plunge and dance, dance, dance into my beautiful life of infinite possibility. May you too treasure each incomparable moment, let go of regret, find the power in forgiveness, notice the good, appreciate kindness, see the beauty in the unfolding transformation and dance into the never ending journey of change.
RSS Feed