Transitions

by Marilynn Halas on April 3rd, 2013
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They say that people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime and I agree.  Each of us takes our journey and meets along the way people who accompany us and lighten our load, teach us something, or both.  Life is always changing and that’s a good thing because change is essential for growth.

 

Kids go through transitions all the time.  One night they sleep in a crib, the next in a bed.  One day they are in Kindergarten, the next they are off to high school, or at least it can feel like that for us moms and dads watching them grow.  I think the ability to live a happy and balanced life depends upon our ability to roll with the changes and embrace the opportunity in every unknown.

 

The thing is, sometimes we like things just the way they are.  That’s normal; a certain anxiety about the unknown is healthy.  Imagine the first time a caveman discovered a fire.  Caution was definitely appropriate, but so was exploration.  The same is true for any life change at any age.

 

Teaching our kids that new experiences are a natural part of life at any age is a great gift to them.  It normalizes their concerns and empowers them to look for the opportunities.  Whether it’s trying a new food like sushi or zucchini, or adapting to a new school or neighborhood, graceful transition skills are an important part of the toolbox we need to build a more meaningful life.

 

Saying hello, or even good-bye to a someone we care about can be difficult, adjusting to a new routine or a new environment is bound to have it’s ups and downs, but how we cope, will teach our kids how it’s done, for better or for worse.  Like so much of parenting, what we do sets the tone for our kids.  Are we teaching them to be open and embrace life?  Most of us certainly hope so.  Are we reminding to be gentle with themselves and pace themselves?  Most of us mean to.  Are we letting them know that no matter what changes around them, there are constants that form the structure they can cling to?  Most of us think so.

 

Like most journeys, it’s easier to get to your desired location if you actually choose one.  So I think the first step is to decide that teaching your kids and yourself about transitions is important.  Deciding that you value openness more than fear, that you want to embrace life rather than endure it, these are the most important steps in raising kids who can relax into newness rather than resist it.  Reassuring your child and yourself that love doesn’t change.  If unconditional love is your structure then it is strong and can it can move, grow and carry whatever changes come.  Maybe that is a good way to look at changes, maybe transitions really are opportunities to love and be loved in new ways.  That would be an attitude we could all embrace.

 

No matter what else changes, keep your face to the sun.

Marilynn


Categories: General