Waiting for Windows

I am waiting for 'workers' to come to install our new windows. They should be here any minute...

Or not.

I both love and hate the anticipation involved in our 'projects.' Planning is good; second-guessing the decisions when it is too late to do so, not good at all. Looking forward to having the job done - great! In the middle of having it done - just plain ugly. I love my new wood floors, but the long, and very cold, two days of Russians in the house with the doors open and compressors and saws running - not to mention the dust to clean up all over the house afterwards - really put a damper on my enthusiasm for a bit. And this time - moving furniture away from the windows, taking down blinds and curtain rods, locking up the cats in the spare bedroom (while Maddie is once again hissing at Frik because he just had his teeth cleaned at the vet's and doesn't smell right to her again) and having no window coverings for a while is making me wish we hadn't done this! Hopefully by next week I'll be glad again; but now? Not so much.

It's an analogy for life.

Change is difficult - whether big or small, lengthy or not, physical or mental, environmental or attitudinal. (Is 'attitudinal' a word?) Triggered by feelings, events, or just the passage of time, change is unavoidable but almost always scary. I learned, many years ago, that sometimes you just have to grit your teeth, close your eyes, and jump. And having had to do that, over and over, I know that whatever I'm jumping into is usually worth the trouble.

I've made more changes in my life than almost anyone I know. I've moved, as an adult, from Arizona to Alaska to Oregon, California, Kentucky and Washington. I've been (ahem) married 3 times. (Oh well - hard to get that one right the first time but I did finally, and it was worth it all!) I've owned 6 different houses, and 6 different cats. Two college degrees have gotten me 6 different professional jobs. (Gee. All those sixes are a little weird. There were 6 'places' too.) Possessions still come and go. My son was born, and then grew up too fast and left. So did friends, sometimes.

Here's what I know about change:

• You can always make it work.
• There is always a 'tipping' point - when you are done wallowing in the misery of having to make a change and can finally start to see new possibilities, plans and purposes. Knowing that in the 'wallowing' stage can really help.
• Taking the positives with you and dumping the negatives as you 'jump' will make you a better person.
• Changing your attitude or the tone of the things you tell yourself inside your head can often work better than making bigger, 'outer' changes.
• Change will always involve ups and downs, eager anticipation and dread, bumps along the way, and something being 'different' when you are done. Accept all of this.
• Change is yours to create and enjoy.
• Very little in life needs to be permanent, if you don't want it to be.

Well.

Sorry - I really was just waiting for new windows. Got a little carried away.