Mary Ann Hayes

It is said, life is full of surprises, and  I’m sure we can all agree this is true. And with surprises, comes change. I’m not one for change. I like things to stay just as they are. I don’t like neighbors moving out and strangers moving in. I don’t like the physical changes happening as we age, not to mention the mental ones. It’s upsetting how this dreaded change interrupts the flow and routine of everyday life, threatening our balance.

Yet, change is inevitable, and people like me need to accept it and make necessary adjustments. As I walk down our beach road, I realize how many neighbors I don’t know. There has been such turnover in ownership as the years have gone by. I need to get to know my neighbors again.

Our grandchildren are four, two, and six years old now. They are no longer babies, not even the two year old. They no longer need grandma helping with every single thing. Our dear dogs, Maggie and Rita, no longer hear a knock at the door or a door bell ring. It’s important to prepare myself for the day when they will leave us. I’m afraid it won’t be in the too distant future.

Yet, it’s also time to look on the good side of all these changes and find some comfort in them. The older we get, the less people expect from us. That right there is a bit freeing. The new neighbors have brought renewed enthusiasm to our wonderful beach, reopening our eyes to the beauty of it all. Watching our grandchildren soldier on to independence allows us to spend more time getting to know the persons they are as opposed to changing diapers. And our sweet dogs, as much as we love them, do tie us down. We will miss them terribly, yet to be totally honest, we will also experience a touch of freedom with their passing.

Change is tough, but it does keep us from getting stale. Life never gets monotonous when we allow change to happen, learn to accept it, and then go with it. Change challenges us .As much as I don’t want to admit it, the day to day challenge of change is truly a lifesaver.

Later,

Mary Ann