Life is a beautiful fragile precious gift, that’s why we call it the present. Life is ever changing, nothing in this life is certain except that one day all our lives will come to an end, when this life is over, it’s inevitable. We cannot put a stop to the hands of time, but we can learn how to live the life we have been given with arms open wide and live it the best we can. 

Change is tough on anyone. For those of us who deal with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, when change comes, it can feel like our entire world is turning upside down. However, it is not impossible to learn how to embrace change and its beauty. 

Fall is upon us and long summer nights are behind us; the foliage leaves are changing and the days are shorter. The cold brisk mornings, oh how I love waking up snuggled under the blankets. I love kicking my feet in the leaves and hearing them crunch beneath my feet. I love the smells of fall air, warm apple pie cooking in the oven, and sipping hot apple cider while snuggled on the couch watching a good movie or reading a good book. In the same way, the seasons of our lives are constantly turning their pages. 

We change, we grow older, and we change in how we look and feel: jobs and relationships can change, a baby is born, or you move to another state. So our circumstances are constantly changing for all of us, the question we need to ask ourselves is this: do we embrace change or do we run from it? Over the years change has been difficult for me and at times still is. I’m learning though how to better deal with the changes that come with this life. For we all are a work in progress, no one is perfect. 

Change is tough for all of us, no matter who you are or what walk of life you come from. For those of us who deal with depression and mental health issues, change can turn our worlds upside down. I believe that everything happens for a reason. There is a lot of evil in this world we cannot explain away, yet a lot of beauty is in this world too. For every challenge we go through, we can run from it and let it destroy us, or we can learn how to cope in healthy ways and embrace the change. Not all change must be looked at as a bad thing. Change helps us grow and helps us learn to be better individuals.

One thing about bipolar is stability, structure is important. So how do we manage that? Well by taking our medication like we’re supposed to, seeing our therapist regularly, knowing what our triggers are, knowing how to cope in healthy ways, and having a support system in place. Our lives are as fleeting as the changing seasons. There will be happy changes and beautiful memories and there will be losses of different kinds we can’t avoid.

I’m learning to deal with a big loss. Recently, my grandfather died tragically and without a chance to say goodbye. While he was here, I saw him in the hospital after his accident, but he was in a medical coma and couldn’t see or talk to me. It’s been a month since he left this world, and it still hasn’t sunk in. I have my support system in place and I write a lot on my own to help me manage my emotions dealing with this. When we’re not emotionally prepared for change or when we deny change happens, then chaos happens. When we learn what change is and how it can better us or destroy us, ahead of time, it makes the change a bit easier to take in and adapt to.

Here are a few quotes I found that sum up what change means:

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” – John Kabat-Zin

“Don’t be afraid of change, you might lose something good, but you will gain something better.” – author unknown

Embrace the beauty of change, as we enjoy the seasons changing, enjoy the seasons of our lives.

Read the rest of Natalie’s post for ibpf here or visit her personal blog at www.rtwtoe.blogspot.com