Oy vey! oy vey! Life’s a merry rounding way. (That’s for sure, that’s for sure.)
One day, one way; then it goes the other way. (That’s for sure, that’s for sure.)
Strange that we thought that it might be different. (Yaba baba baba baba
bum bum bum.)
Change one thing, all things different. (Yaba baba baba baba bum bum bum.)
Join me in the dance. (Yaba baba baba baba bum bum bum.)
Come on, take a chance. (Yaba baba baba bum bum bum.)

-Yiddish folksong

Change has been on my mind a whole lot these days, particularly as we continue to transition into autumn colours and snuggly sweaters. Admittedly, I still sense a whisper of sadness within as I pause from my sun-kissed ocean-side strolls. Recalling the words of wisdom my father used to often boom at me as a child in his beautiful, thick Greek accent: “There is always a beginning, a middle and an end…”

As I sit here at a local café, I reflect on the ways this very day is different than even yesterday – a friend just announced her decision to move provinces… my favourite sunflowers are not for sale today as I expected at my neighbourhood store… I had my first experience of dodging a downpour of chestnuts from the magnificent chestnut trees lined along the street on my route here…  My favourite movement class is definitely back in full swing after a summer hiatus…. I muse at how even these seemingly insignificant differences impact me and, in fact, change me.

Indeed, change is the hallmark of being here on this planet. Yet, as the Yiddish tune suggests, something in us often expects things to be the same.

The fact of the matter is, from moment to moment, as we follow the breadcrumbs of our lives, we are in flux – evident in our seasonal cycles, our passages into new life stages, our physiological changes like the shedding of our skin, the death and regeneration of cells every few weeks to months, and the strengthening and weakening of our neuro-networks as we continue to learn.

Change can show up with a snap of the fingers (like noticing a tuft of grey hair for the first time; having an intuitive flash resulting in a shift in perception). And it can also be an intentionally planned passage (like making a desired geographical change or career shift or birthing new life to this planet).

On the one hand, hallelujah for the ongoing shifts and changes of our internal and external landscapes. It is this dance of life that keeps it all interesting and engaging. On the other hand, if you are anything like most of us, change (no matter what it looks like – whether joy-filled, seemingly catastrophic or neutral) can stir the emotional pot, challenging us to draw from our inner reserves and to anchor more deeply into our sanctuary space within.

Let’s face it. It takes immense courage to dance to all the rhythms of life, to compassionately bear witness to and navigate all the “ya-ba-ba-ba-bums” that accompany our transitions and to ongoingly compose our unique soundtracks to all the endings, middles and new beginnings of our existence.

What brings me great joy and relief is the knowing that we are all in it together, you and I joined together in this dance…

How are you dancing to the various changes that are presenting themselves to you today?

Over the next months, please join me as I post a series of writings on the topic of transitions.