Wednesday was moving day for my family. With a son who is now starting to walk and talk (and get into everything), we thought that a one-bedroom condo was getting a little too cramped. So we boxed everything up and called the movers. Okay, it was a little more complicated than that, but the point is that the movers came and took everything out. Our whole life was moved in about 6 hours.
As my wife and I watched everything go, and the condo became more and more empty, a feeling of sadness started to come over both of us. Actually, it was more a feeling of nostalgia. We had some good times in that condo. It was the first property we owned, and it was brand new! At the same time, we had other family move in to other units in the building. We got engaged shortly after moving in. We then made our first “big” family purchase (a vacuum cleaner). We had our pre-wedding pictures in the downstairs Great Room. After getting married and having our wedding reception just a short mile away, we headed back to the condo to pick up our suitcases and head off on our honeymoon. A little less than two years later, still in the condo, our son arrived. We installed a sliding door and made him a cozy room, complete with crib, rocker, dresser, and bookshelf. He took his first step and said his first word (Da Da, of course) at the condo. It was our home.
“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves.” ~Anatole France
Things change. It is inevitable.
Today, I went for a run. As you can see by this post, I reminisced about my life over the past 4 years, and I thought ahead to what is yet to come. While the condo will forever hold a place in my heart, I am excited for the next chapter in my life. I’ve realized that, although things change, there are certain foundations that help guide us through it all. These are the things that we live for, the things that are dearest to our heart. For each of us, the foundations are probably different in type and number. But the key is that they remain constant through change. For me, my family, my community, my profession, and my persona are the foundations that navigate me through change. In essence, these foundations make everything worthwhile.
“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” ~Author unknown.
How true.
