Transitions

 

“Change is an event but a transition is the process that you go through in response to the change.” ~William Bridges

Today is a special day for one of my nieces. After a 6-month delay, she is finally graduating from PP2 and will be joining grade one when schools open in a few weeks. It’s all she’s been talking about for a while now. . .”when I go to grade one. . .” I can only smile and say a prayer for her. We had no graduations at that level when I grew up and I do not purport to know how she feels. But I get the fact that a change is about to take place today, that will trigger a happy transition in her life.

Lately, a lot of us have experienced change from one position, state or place to another. For a few of us, that transition has been a joyous one. For the majority, it has been a bitter experience and probably continues to be. Change is instantaneous. It often takes place at a moment in time. Transition, however, is a process that can sometimes take us from one state or place and leave us in ‘purgatory’ before it deposits us to the next station.

Some of the extreme changes that visit us as humans include death and loss. The former leaves us in a state of grief that really has no expiry date. Loss can leave us in depression, pain and a state of searching that may also go on for an inordinate amount of time. Joyful transitions on the other hand may present us with an opportunity to grow if we plan ahead.

Hence, given this ‘wait’ state that seems to be a guaranteed part of the process of transition, and the surety of change in life, what are we to do to prepare for the inevitable?

Some people would tell you to take an insurance cover to cushion you against loss. I have nothing against that but a funeral cover will cater to the last expenses and still leave a widow and her children in grief. A medical cover will pay the bill but the sick one has to bear their pain during the treatment and healing process. I prefer to choose a cushion that caters to my emotional and spiritual needs. Cultivate your friendships while the sun is shining. Check on your relatives when there are no funeral committees to be constituted. Learn how to call on God when your only agenda is to say ‘hi, how are you today’.

Be open to learning new things even when you see no opportunity to put that learning into practice in the near future. You never know when the information will come in handy. Indeed the wave of transition has been sweeping the world in the last 18 months. Have you found an immovable rock to anchor yourself to? Have you learnt a skill that can carry you through the next phase of life? Have you nurtured a relationship that can provide a helping hand when you fall into a pit dug for you by life?

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