The Ups and Downs
The last couple of weeks in my life have had more ups and downs than most roller coaster rides. They have spanned both my personal life and my professional life. I won’t give specifics because some of them aren’t mine to tell, but the rundown goes something like this:
- Surprise loss of two extended family members in the span of two days
- Wonderful news from a beloved family member
- Drama involving the same family member’s job
- Reunion of generations at the family farm in Iowa
- Giving up one of my dogs – for the right reasons and to an awesome new home
- Game-changing (and personally disappointing) development at work with much effort to manage it
- Visit from my aunt and cousin from Chicago
- Loss of a family friend who was battling Leukemia
- Trip back to DC, my adopted home for law school, to see good friends
- A week (potentially two) spent for work in another office to hear manage the changes to our team
My Thoughts on the Ride
Change is really the only constant in life. We cannot expect things to stay the same, nor should we really hope for it since it’s impossible. I haven’t mastered this. It’s so tempting to want wonderful moments to last indefinitely especially with loved ones young and old. I value change greatly in many, many contexts, but it so much harder to accept when it involves the loss of loved ones or the uncertainty resulting from unexpected change. I believe the truest test is getting comfortable with change in these contexts and learning to remain present along the way.
For me remaining present amidst a lot change and uncertainty takes some doing. It requires giving in to the change and deviating from your own plans to embrace the moment, but transitions can be hard, and we don’t always want to accept the moment. I’m in Atlanta this week after a complete change of plans brought me here for work. It’s not what I had in mind for the week, especially with everything that has been going on. I was hoping for a mellow week – time at home, healthy eating, and maybe a little yoga. Instead it’s been a long, challenging week in Atlanta. It’s also been a satisfying week. I’m ready to be done with 12 hour days for a little while, but I decided to look at the silver lining… This picture is the view from the desk I’m using this week. Not too bad, right?
