When it’s Time (to make a Change)

Change is inevitable, in our own lives as well as in the lives of all our favorite fictional characters.  Sometimes we wish to see a change; we seek it out, we embrace it when it comes.  Other times, we would rather avoid change, prevent it, ignore or deny it.  We may find a way to delay it or alter it for a time, but in the end change will come.

Change can be positive; it can mean a new friendship, or a new love.  Who doesn’t get excited when the hero(s) falls in love?  It’s romantic to watch, not quite as euphoric as experiencing it ourselves, but still causes us to leave the theatre with a sense of completeness for the expected happily ever after.  Of course, the beginning of a relationship is only the first step in one of life’s most altering experiences.

Change can bring an alliance of former enemies, a “joining of forces,” an arrangement that benefits multiple parties.  Such disparate personalities as the cast of any superhero group movie ever made points out to us the benefits of partnership.  Such change is not always easy; it would be unrealistic and just plain boring to watch if it was, but what about life that is worthwhile comes to us without expending some sort of effort?

Change can also be negative or hurtful; it can mean a separation of friends, the end of an era or alliance, the death of a mentor.  The fallout from a fight between friends can be harmful to all involved, whether emotionally or even physically.  We hope we never seek to do harm to those we have called friends, but unfortunately history bears witness to the fact that conflicts sometimes escalate out of control, when cool heads and common values fail to inspire us enough.

Have you ever noticed how many father-figures don’t survive until the end of the story to witness how their child/protégé achieves success?  From Simba the Lion King to Luke Skywalker, the loss of a mentor is used as a catalyst to help along the hero’s development.  These losses are something we have no desire to experience in our own lives, and find painful even to watch on screen.   We only hope that when we must experience such misfortunes that we emulate our heroes and embrace the new understanding or maturity that follows.

Change can most certainly be painful, but we must realize that just as it is inevitable it is necessary.  Everyone undergoes change, because without it, we cannot grow or truly live; we cannot even become older or die.  The most we can hope for is to seek to continually improve ourselves, mentally, physically, and spiritually, either because of or in spite of the changes that come our way.  Here’s to meeting change head on, and striving for grace and wisdom in all we do.

Amy