Monumental events leave a lasting impression. Some years roll over into one another with no distinct variation. You go through the motions without noteworthy happenings. Other years go down in the books for being extraordinarily eventful. The past twelve months have been of the eventful kind for my family. There have been plenty of blessings to balance the onslaught of reasons to cry. More than anything, it has been a year of growth.
Having my oldest daughter come home from college has made me nostalgic. In addition to her leaving, there have been so many other changes. Though many of the changes my family faced were planned, a fair amount were completely unforeseeable challenges. We’ve had to adopt new norms and let go of old routines. We had to pivot, make in-the-moment decisions, and deal with more emotions than we knew were possible. The contrast of experiences has ranged from joy to sorrow, life and death, health and illness. There has been no stillness in the swing of the pendulum. Life was either full of sun or a torrential downpour. I see now that we needed both to sustain our familial growth spurt.
Finally, life is on a steadier course, a calmer pace. None of us are the same people we were a year ago. The challenges we’ve endured have refreshed our appreciation for the status quo, and our gratitude runs even deeper than before. Being prepared for what comes next isn’t always possible. At times, it felt like our world would never right itself, but it has, as it always does. Wounds have healed. Acceptance is in place. Fears are diminishing (well, as much as they can for any parent). Only one of us went off to college, but all four of us have had a year of growth.
