Change

The lights are twinkling on my Christmas tree like 500 multicolored fireflies, the fairies are smiling and the purple and silver ornaments are reflecting the light. I’m loath to take it down, it’s so beautiful. 

I really hate change. I wish I could say that I only hate negative change, but that would be a lie. I hate change full stop. When work told us that we were being moved to Coffs Harbor, arguably one of the most beautiful seaside villages in Australia, I was crushed. I was sad to be moving another 600kms from my parents, 1800kms is a long way from the only free baby sitters we know. But I was excited about living near the sea, and living full time in the place where people go on holiday.

If you live in a holiday destination does that mean that your life is a permanent holiday? I keep trying to convince my husband that even work is a holiday here. He’s response is that if you are away from your family over ten hours a day, that is not a holiday. He’s got a point, but where we live is still really great.

I love living here, it’s my favorite place yet, we are ten minutes walk to the beach. We live in a lovely calder sack where the kids ride their rip sticks up and down the street and they all look after each other. They even include my toddler in their out door sports. We have intermittent block parties and I know most of our neighbors. Moving here was one of the best changes we have ever made.

Change can be scary and take effort that we may not have the inclination to exert. Yet change is inevitable and beneficial. Changing our thinking about a situation may take effort, but it could also give us a more joyful existence. Changing our diet may be boring, time consuming or even just plain distasteful but it can give us a fuller and longer life. Changing our tires can be costly but being safer on the road is priceless. Moving and starting a new life may be daunting but the adventure of starting over can be a blessing.

Life feels like a coin sometimes, you don’t know if you’re going to get the a nod from the head or a tail in your face. Either way, we have the power to change every situation with the way that we choose to perceive it. The way we decide to thing about the change is what will determine whether it becomes a positive or negative force in our lives.

Shortly I will have to take down the Christmas tree with all its twinkling lights and festive bling, but it’s place will not remain bare long. As the weather becomes wetter (not cooler) I’ll need that spot for the clothes horse, I may even hang a couple of fairies on it, to remind myself that change is not bad, it’s just different. 

By Susan Magaitis

And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3