Change, for me, often feels like a dark and ominous cloud that hangs over the horizon.  I am full of fear and reservation, reluctant to let go of that which has become familiar and comfortable.  I imagine the things that bring me joy being stripped away, leaving me empty and vulnerable.  Yet change is not always about losing what is good.  It is often about gaining something even better.  Though you can’t see what the future holds until it comes, change can bring with it new beauty that is unexpected.  We are often gaining new experiences, new friendships, and new opportunities.  So I try to welcome the changes that come, knowing that not all change is a loss.  Nature shows us time and again, that nothing is ever meant to remain the same for long, but each season of our life brings something fresh and new.  So I let go of my fears and reservations, knowing that each dark night is followed by morning light and that each change holds the promise of something new and beautiful.

Fall has come, bringing with it a new school year.  I feel the change in the air and I am filled with a mixture of hope and nervousness.  For me, as a teacher, fall is always difficult.  The old year has been left behind and a new year brings with it much work and new worries.  But I know too, that each fall so far has also brought things with it that I have appreciated and enjoyed. Change can be beautiful.  So I choose to put aside my fears and look towards the fall with hope for the promise that it holds.  What things are you looking forward to in this season of change?

Change is on the Horizon
By Krista Longeway

It is early morning, the sun is low

In the night, a dark and ominous cloud 
Has settled over the world like a shroud
The fears and reservations of the night
Weigh me down with doubt and obscure the light
The shadows are gathering, dark and grey
For I know that change is now on its way

But then a fresh new day begins to show

The beautiful rays of the morning sun 
Peak out from the clouds on the horizon
A brilliant orange light fills the morning air
Quickly erasing all of my despair
Tinting the darkest clouds with a pink glow
Reflecting off of the water below

And slowly, gently, my hope starts to grow

This is the change that suddenly occurs 
Early in the morning it reassures 
By bringing light into the darkest world 
Like a flower, the sunrise comes unfurled
The warmth of the sun returns to the earth
‘Tis the hope that comes with a new day’s birth

So I watch the sun rise and then I know 
 
The gentle promise of a fresh new day
Suddenly chasing all my cares away
A daily reminder that change can bring 
Light and beauty that covers everything
And that my life will continue this way
Light dispelling the darkness, come what may

All is well now with the world down below