All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. ~ Anatole France

 

Don't you wish Life came with written directions?  When something comes your way where you need to make a decision or a change, you can look it up on page 37 and it says right there, in black and white, "Why, yes...you should do this."  And just as clearly say, "Ah ah ah...don't be an idiot! Say no!"

 

When we're little kids the decisions are all made for us, whether they're good, bad, or questionable.  We have no control over them and we live with the consequences.  And we can't wait to grow up, to have the power to make our own decisions.  That's when we learn a new respect for our parents, when we realize that decision-making isn't all that much fun.  Or easy.  Nothing in life is a given.  There's always a 50/50 chance of success or failure.

 

Dear Hubby and I have made some really dumb choices in life at times.  Like the time we bought a car from someone he knew who was anxious to sell it, only to have the transmission burn up on it a week later.  We've also made some excellent choices, like our decision to move here to the Midwest. The decision to buy the car was based on looking at the outside and liking what we saw.  Spontaneous.  No thought whatsoever as to what lay under the surface.  We liked it, we bought it.  Dumb dumb  decision.  Moving here, things happened very fast once the plan was put into motion but we prayed earnestly and asked God the entire time, "If this isn't meant to be, slam the doors shut!"  He in turn threw them so wide open we followed His lead every step of the way.  There is no place on this earth that is paradise but we have been very blessed by this decision and I know for myself I'm happier here than I've been in years.

 

I don't usually do well with change.  I don't like anyone rocking my boat, messing with my routines.  But I think that's true of everyone.  We all have our comfort zones and I know for myself I'm always afraid if I step out in one direction or the other I'm going to fall off the path and land on my face.  I don't know why, really.  Whether good or bad, I've survived every decision I've made in life so far.  I might've survived with a few bruises here and there, but I've also come out into glorious light as well.  I've always learned either good or bad lessons.  Hopefully I remember the bad ones and don't repeat them.  Sometimes wisdom comes at a high price.

 

I might have written about this before...maybe not.  But it's well worth repeating because it's the most valuable Life Lesson I've learned so far in my 59 years on this earth: 

 

99% of what we fret and stew and worry about never comes to pass.  The 1% that does...we face it, deal with it, and move on.

 

Somehow, I take a lot of comfort in that.  Because, isn't it the truth?