Change is Good

My daughter won’t eat apples. (Or pears, peaches and melon for that matter, but don’t get me started.) What kid doesn’t eat apples? Really… that’s just weird. She’ll eat everything made of apples, but not an actual apple.  I’ve tried to explain that you have to try something to know if you like it or not. But she’s afraid of change, I guess. She sticks with what she knows and likes, and I can’t complain because she’ll willingly eat broccoli and asparagus (go figure, eh?). I find it ironic, then, in my quest to instill in my children that "change is good" – give up a bad habit because it’s better for you; make new friends because you’ll have more fun; try a new sport because you’ll like it – that I struggle the most with the idea of change.

Many people would characterize me as being outgoing, opinionated (maybe too much so, at times) and friendly, but I sometimes have a hard time moving outside my comfort zone. I try not to let my kids know, for example, that I’m afraid of heights (ladders = bad; airplanes = okay) and that I really don’t like bananas.  But, sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you’ve just gotta go with it! A few years ago, I was laid off from my job and had to seriously think about my next steps. I had never before been in that position, and it really scared me… the thought that I didn’t have a job to fall back on and didn’t know what the future would hold.

Fast-forward two years, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. While I’m very busy with work and my family responsibilities, I realize that I am extremely fortunate to have the kind of flexibility that I couldn’t have achieved at my old job.

So, while my kids may not listen to me when I tell them change is good, I hope they can see by my actions that Mommy can roll with the punches, that change really IS good, and that we’re all better off for it. :)