Everything Changes
I sat on my front steps watching as the car drove away with my best and only friend, tears streaming down my cheeks. Mama tried to console me, but to my young mind at the time, my whole world was changing and collapsing. My only friend was gone as his family moved away. It was early 1970’s in rural Georgia, and now almost 50 years later, a lifetime and thousands of miles traveled since then, I still feel that deep emotion of the change when your world is turned upside down. Of course, I survived and thrived beyond that moment in time of youth as the changes in life continued, and I met many more fabulous and wonderful friends over the past 50 years than I could have ever imagined. For that reminder I am grateful. Were the changes over the years always good? Absolutely not. Some changes in life are good and some bad. The point being that change is constantly happening, and as the saying goes, storms don’t last always. We weather the bad storms and changes, knowing they don’t last always. And even in the darkest of storms and rain, there’s an inner peace and spirit within each of us that once tapped into inspires us to dance in the rain and laugh and smile even in the darkest and most challenging of times. And we don’t navigate that change alone, especially the difficult or dark times of change, like what many are facing right now. It takes community and digging deep inside ourselves to find that resilience that runs deep across generations of our ancestors who made it through some extremely difficult times to make our lives today possible.
So, I encourage each of you to reflect on your own stories and the stories of your ancestors, as you think about how to navigate the current chaos and changes. You’ve been here before and so have your ancestors. Dig deep into your collective stories to find the resilience and connection with community around you. Then, even in the midst of the conflict and constant changes and challenges, you individually, your community, our country and world will not only survive the changes but find extraordinary ways to thrive. Always remember that for every person, no matter your differences that make you unique, Your Stories Matter and Everyone’s Stories Matter.
If you are a US Federal Government employee impacted by the recent layoffs, whether you were fired or are left behind and struggling to process the impacts, and you are in need of career coaching or other career transition support please reach out to me at [email protected]
You are a part of my community and I as a military veteran are part of your community too.
