As the glowing autumn leaves give way to snow covered trees, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the last three months which have brought about some significant changes. This past fall was a particularly memorable one for me, not only because it was unseasonably warm and one of the most beautiful that I can recall, but because this season also brought about some life altering events for me.

 

It seemed that as quickly as the leaves morphed from green to golden hues of yellow and orange, I too experienced many unexpected changes that colored my life in various ways. From being involved in a serious car accident (fortunately no one was injured!) and finding out I would be having a sister on the same day to having that sister be born prematurely with complications and gaining a stepmother who also happens to be my age to dealing with abrupt changes with my living situation and handling several canceled work contracts to marrying off my best friend and dealing with uncertainty in my own relationship of 4 years. While these may not seem that earth shattering on their own, having them all occur in such a short span of time has been challenging to say the least.

 

As beautiful as the changes have been to observe taking place outdoors, the events happening in my life felt like one blow after the other. I have spent much of this season feeling completely out of control, which for a perfectionist and slight control freak like myself is a pretty uncomfortable place to dwell. I have experienced a sweeping range of emotions from anger and frustration to sadness and disbelief and just about everything in between. At times I’ve felt as though I’m existing outside of myself, like my life has become so unrecognizable that I’m just observing it from a distance.

While this has not been an easy few months for me, I’m keenly aware that my burdens pale in comparison to the truly awful circumstances others have to endure. Simply turning on the news puts things into perspective quickly and serves as an instant reminder of all that I have to be grateful for. I also know that change is an inevitable part of life and there isn’t much I can do except choose how I’m going to react. I can sink into myself or accept and embrace everything that has happened.

I’m definitely a work in progress and for now I’m focused on doing things that bring me peace and joy. Traveling, preparing for the holidays and spending time with loved ones has been my saving grace. My hope is that just as the leaves fall away to make room for new growth in the spring, the changes I’ve experienced this season will prepare me for new challenges and beautiful adventures in the future.

How have you embraced seasons of change in your life? Share your comments below.