Life Transitions

What kind of transitions are you facing right now? Tough ones? Fun ones? Even the fun ones can be bumpy. Statistics show that moving ranks right up there toward the top of the list as being one fo the most stressful life events, and some moves are anticipated thrills.

How do you handle them?

We’re experiencing a lot of transitions around here lately. I’m saying goodbye to a dear mentor, educator and godly man this Friday. He died way too young, at the age of 67. He and his wife were some of the most kind, gracious and generous people I’ve ever met. He was a dean here at the University of Arizona. The staff and students there will also miss him. His family is facing a huge transition.

I got word yesterday morning, just before I was to read the liturgy in church, that a good friend of my mother’s died Friday. She was older, early nineties. She was a godly woman and ready to go. Just last Sunday my husband chatted with her, and that’s what she said. She’d just completed her personal memoirs she’d been working on for a decade and said, “Things hurt, but I’m well. And I’m ready. Whenever it’s time, I’m ready to go.” She experienced a massive stroke on Wednesday and died Friday. This was a woman who lost her husband over thirty years ago, and battled both colon and breast cancer. She was one of the most upbeat people I’ve met. She was more than ready to make that transition into the arms of God. I hope I’m that ready.

Then I received word last night that a friend’s husband passed away on Saturday night. She’d been taking care of him for much of their 54 years together. She’s wondering how long it’s going to take before it becomes real.

A little over a week ago, my husband and I celebrated a major transition with our son Cory. The Cory you’ve read so much about in this blog. It was a happy transition. He turned 20.

Now, in contemporary society 20 is really no big deal, except that you move out of the teens and into bigger—most adult-sounding—numbers. But in the Bible, it was kind of a big deal. For a lot of reasons. And next week I’ll tell you why and how we celebrate this major life transition in our family.

Then I’ll take a hiatus for a couple of weeks. When I return in April, I’ll be going through a series of new posts on grief.

There’s certainly plenty of that going around all over the world…

Until next week,

Thanks for joining me!

Blessings,

Andrea