Front of the Line

 As hard as it was to watch my eldest prepare to leave and start the next chapter of his life, it allowed me to watch a life transition in process.  Being able to see the trees while standing in the forest provided a perspective on how one can effectively manage change without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decisions and choices that need to be made. 

What struck me from the start was how he prioritized and determined what needed to happen, and then simply did the thing.  It can be so easy to get caught up in minutiae and uncontrollables while navigating through a transition period.  I have often found myself falling victim to "analysis paralysis," which brings any and all forward motion to a grinding halt. At the same time, I wrestle with small (and often most insignificant) details.  It can feel like I am doing meaningful work as I busy myself with these plans, only to realize later on that I could have made much more headway had I focused on the bigger picture and left the smaller things to sort themselves out in due time.

He not only prioritized the actions he needed to take, but he also prioritized himself.  This is another place where I often fall short.  He knew what he needed to do, how much time he had to do it in, and made choices on how to spend his time accordingly.  This meant that while he was busy crossing things off his to-do list, he was not allowing himself to become distracted by other pulls on his time.  Yet another lesson for me to learn.  I want to do all the things, all the time, and often stretch myself a bit thin to do so.  Watching him protect his time (and his sanity) by saying no when needed was illuminating.  Despite being fully aware of the power of strong boundaries, watching him move himself to the front of the line reminded me of the importance of this practice and the need to continue working on this skill in my own life. 

The amount of change that took place in the few short weeks before he left provided us both with lessons in growth and empowerment: he is safely off and establishing himself in his new community, and I could not be prouder, while I am left to reflect, digest, and feel inspired.

 

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