Change

Did you ever think about how life has led you to be where you are right now? Life is a series of changes. We change where we got to school, where we work, where we live and many times the people in our lives change. Sometimes that is good and sometimes it is bad.

I grew up in a family that moved around 9 times in the first 18 years of my life. I went to 9 different schools. Many times there was no saying Good-bye. I knew we were moving and most times I knew where but rarely when. My Dad would show up at the school, he was my guardian, and he would come to the classroom to get me. He would then drive me and my sister to our new home that was set up by the movers. I would get confused at night forgetting I was in a new place. Many times I did not want the change but had no choice. The biggest change that happened in my childhood was when I was 6 and we moved across the country to Los Angeles California in 1960. When we moved back to New Jersey 10 months later life was never the same.  My parents fell deeper in their alcoholism and it made life so much worse.

I was always the new kid at school. For a few weeks everyone wants to be your friend. Then suddenly there is another new kid and you are cast away like yesterdays news. When I was able to be in the same school from 8th grade to graduation I thought, I am finally part of the group. All they talked about in the final weeks of school was time spent in kindergarten.

Here I am 35 years later. Looking back, if I hadn't had my children kidnapped by my ex and wound up in a therapy program I would never have met the friend that introduced me to my husband John. If I hadn't moved to Pennsylvania in 1986 my older son would not have met his wife. If I hadn't moved to Florida in 1997, my older daughter would not have met her husband. If I hadn't moved to Florida my younger son might not have gotten treatment for his epilepsy nor have gotten his certification that led to the job in Pennsylvania where he met a friend who introduced him to his wife. If I hadn't moved to Florida I wouldn't have met my best friend of 8 years. My husband never would have gotten his life dream of owning a sailboat. I wouldn't have had the opportunity to give my parents unconditional love and take care of them and find the healing of my heart and peace that I have now,

Life is ever changing and people drift in and out of our lives. But if we didn't make changes many things would be different.  The fact that life does change always gives me hope it will get better. Change can be good and I now welcome Change.