The Changing Sunrise

As I sit and look out my window, there is something in the scenery that I miss seeing.  Our neighbors cut down an old dead tree.  It was dead, but it was a magnificent tree.  It was one of those giant old trees with spooky looking branches, it was a nice silhouette against the morning sunrise.  It had a very artistic feel to it, it felt like it needed to be painted or photographed (my art student friend understands that!).  

I say this now, but just a few months ago when we had a lot of rain and windstorms I complained about it.  I told medic hubby that tree would surely fall and hurt somebody.  I remember watching it shake in the wind and think any second it would go. 

And now it is gone and I miss it already.  I know it needed to go, it's the circle of life.  But I miss seeing it's scraggly branches against the morning sunrise.  Isn't it funny how some things become a part of us without us even realizing it.  Things can become part of our daily routine, a steady in our lives.  Good, bad or indifferent that's the way it is.  This world and our lives are constantly changing, that's just a fact of life. 

Change can be very difficult, especially for adults.   One of the great things about children is their quickness to adaptability.  Children thrive on routine and familiarity, but they are also very adaptable.  Neither of our sons batted an eyelash when we moved.  There was a lot of upheaval in trying to get situated in our new home.  But the boys embraced it and thrived.  There were so many new things about their new home but they loved it. 

My 2 year old didn't even get upset when I killed his pumpkin seed plant that we had so carefully moved with us.  He had planted this seed and we had watched it grow everyday and then planted it outside at our new house.  It was the middle of July and I forgot about it for 3 days.  It could not be revived, I tried.  I felt awful, I told him I was sorry, he just shrugged his shoulders and went on playing.  If only I could adapt to change and disappointment that quickly.

Our youngest son was a few days shy of 7 months when we moved.  And literally, the day we moved he started crawling!  He was so excited to see his new surroundings and so happy to be mobile.  Change did not slow down his progress, in fact I think it sped it up.

I miss seeing that tree but I will embrace the new sunrise and the fact that it is now unimpeded by a big tree.  Isn't that how we need to treat change in our lives.  It is okay to grieve what is lost but we must look forward and embrace the new.

Little laugh:  Listening to medic hubby's response to "Where did daddy come from?", "Um, from Mimi & Pop-pop",  "Were you baked in a factory?",  "Yeah, sort of".  Oh, boy not ready for the birds and the bees conversation quite yet!

Positive Proverb:  "I the Lord do not change." Malachi 3:6a  (It is nice to know there is one constant!)