The In Between

After living 12 years in Houston, I never got used to its relentless heat and humidity.   In my opinion, seasons there can be categorized as hot, hotter, hottest, and hotter-than-hottest. That kind of intensity might be enough to light the city on fire if it weren’t for the categorically beautiful days sprinkled throughout the year that do, however brief, hydrate and revive the most overheated spirit. Now, in Ohio, there are truer seasons, including one I hadn’t heard of before: “shoulder season”.   This is the time of year when the tug-o-war between winter and spring begins, and spring starts to take the lead. Spring coming full bloom isn’t a linear process, but, inevitably, it does win out and winter is laid to rest until it comes time for it to tug on fall’s rope. This teeter-totter between seasons has me thinking about transitions, in general. Nature gives way to the next season because it doesn’t have an option to stagnate - we, however, do. So often we find ourselves standing in the midst of change (desired or not). Fear, complacency, guilt, and other paralyzing feelings often stifle our courage and we delay - or altogether avoid - diving deeper into the adventure that is LIFE.For me, I’m getting ready to move to Kentucky to join my new husband. I, of course, knew that moving south was all part of the package when he and I met so I feel no hesitation there. What I do feel, though, is hyperaware that my life, as I’ve known it, is about to change in major ways: big city to small, no kids to two step-kids, my space to shared space, and putting myself first to considering the well-being and best interest of my family. I know this is absolutely what I want, but that doesn’t keep me from having thoughts like: “Am I going to be good at my new life?”, “Will I feel lonely?” and, yes, even less weighty uncertainties like, “Do they have good Mexican food in Kentucky?!”Maybe you can relate to wanting something and, at the same time, find yourself anticipating missing something else.   A paradox like that is too often misinterpreted as a reason to pull back rather than a sign that important growth is in the works.   Sometimes, yes, it can be a call to slow down and really consider what’s motivating the change, but no matter if it’s time to pump the brakes or continue moving forward, it’s all part of a greater growth process and, guaranteed, you will learn something that you didn’t know before.I love these words from Amelia Earhart:“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.”Choosing to move through a transition and grow from the experience is what makes people wiser, kinder, stronger, more interesting, and less afraid.  If you’re not aiming for that, what are you aiming for?