Change Is Good but Can Come with a Heavy Heart

 

Change is an odd thing in that it can bring such intense happiness, anticipation, and excitement or it can bring sadness, fear, and feelings of loss.

We all experience change daily but most change that happens is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. That change may come in the form of having to take a detour to work, stop at the grocery store on a day you normally do not, or getting an unexpected letter in the mail from an old friend. We never seem to think twice about these small changes that we encounter but they are there and we adapt quite easily and quickly.

Those changes are not what this is about. This is about the kind of change that is monumental, the kind that makes you stop in your tracks and take notice. The notice we take of these changes may be like what I described in the first sentence…happiness, sadness, or possibly both. This is about being excited but feeling loss all together…intertwined and inseparable.

So, what am I rambling about?

I’m not going to mention names but many of you may know who I am talking about. Two people that Annie and I know, like, and love very much left this morning on a new adventure. They left Paso Robles to move on to new opportunities in a new state. I’ve known them for about six years and can genuinely say that I am a better person for knowing them. They’re the kind of people that you miss when they aren’t around. I think in many instances, they are the kind of people we all strive to be…positive, upbeat, happy, helpful, kind, hilarious, and smart…but they do all of that better than I can describe in words.

There truly are not that many people that have impacted me to such a degree, but they did. They changed my world view on some things and were part of why I started my journey to leave the hamster wheel of life and enjoy things more. I can go on and on about these two and others like them, but over all message I am trying to get across is that change is often a double edged sword and that being “good people” is important and should be something we all strive to be.

For those of us left behind in Paso Robles it is sad, mixed with a few dashes of excitement for them and their new opportunities. That’s the double edged sword. For them, it’s scary as hell mixed with a bit of adventure and anticipation. I think we take our days for granted. We don’t tell people how we feel about them enough. One day, when these big changes happen though, we’re reminded of just how fragile and short lived these moments are.

Is there a way to get so intertwined in the moments we have with people that when the big changes come we know we lived to the fullest in those moments so it becomes less sad? Or is sadness always part of these kind of big changes because of the depth of feelings people have for people?

It’s an interesting road we all travel, some of us more in tune with these thoughts than others, but we all experience them on some level and they impact us to our core whether we admit it or not. To tie this in with Sammy, I know Annie and I will go through many more big changes with him. Getting pregnant was a big change, the day he was born was too…and who knows what the next one will be. I’m not sure I’m ready for one right now.

To the ones this article is about, I (and I’m sure we all do) wish you absolutely nothing but the best and hope the adventure that lies ahead fulfills you. Cheers to you and to new chapters!