Changes

Bryan Duncan sang, "if there's one thing you can count on, things are gonna change."

I have a couple of friends this week that are experiencing change in different ways; One is preparing to say hello to a new member of the family, while another said goodbye to one that has always been there her entire life. Both instances will change them forever.

Some people like change. Growing up, my mom couldn't stand it if a room in the house had the same furniture layout for more than 6 months. Sometimes she moved entire bedrooms from one room to another. When I was very young, my dad came home after a night at the Elks Lodge and couldn't quite make it through the living room because it was dark, and mom had moved all the furniture around.

He didn't come home drunk anymore.

Since I grew up with constant change, I don't mind it so much. By the time I graduated high school, I had lived in 3 different houses. Once we moved across the street! We moved to what I really consider my hometown when I was 8 years old. When I was 18, I went to college and had to move into my college dorm, then move home again in the summer. Then I had to remove back into the dorm or college apartment each year until graduation. Moving for me wasn't a big deal. When I graduated, I lived in 5 different apartments in 4 years. (One day, I'll share the story of why I moved into that 5th apartment. It's a doozy!) Then I got married and bought a house. I've been here 14 years. It's the longest place I've ever lived in my entire life!

But my husband Bob hates change! Once, a few years ago, we thought we were going to move. We signed the papers and everything. Then he went into the front yard and looked at our old tired small house and just got such an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia that we (he) just couldn't do it. Much to the disappointment of our real estate agent, we backed out the next day. I know we'll never leave New Jersey. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to die in this house at a ripe old age. (God willing!)

Then again...