I am usually so immersed in the actual process of living that I don't notice the changes that are taking place in and around me. This week I had a fantastic lesson in comparisons of the pace of change.
Tom and I just got back from vacation. We did not go to an exotic location; rather it was a vacation to catch up with family and friends. Some of the changes that have taken place since I last visited were instantly apparent. There were the expected changes of children (and adults) getting older, and the not so expected of urban sprawl into a rural community. Some of the changes were so dramatic that I was at a loss to recognize what I once called home.
Then there were the things that haven't seen much change, such as attitudes or individual aspects within the communities. While I was lost and unable to find my way around in one area, another was like the back of my hand; still familiar and easy to navigate.
When we returned home, there were more lessons in comparison. The inside of my home still had dust bunnies of pet hair rolling around the bamboo floor, stacks of paper and mail waiting to be sorted and the laundry still waits to be washed. Meanwhile the backyard of my home had experienced growth and change at an astounding rate. When we left, the corn had not yet recovered from Tropical Storm Andrea's winds; now (with some help from my son) it is not only standing, but it has tassels on ears that were not even evident. Where there were mustard leaves, we now have seed pods and most dramatic of all is the Lion's Tail that is now in full bloom.This brings me back to my lesson. We can resist change and collect internal urban sprawl and dust bunnies or we can bloom gracefully with the growth that comes when we embrace new possibilities.
