Change can be overwhelming. Yet, change is constant. My girls returned to school this week, one in middle school for the first time and the other in her last year of elementary. Leading up to the transition, we were nervous, anxious, and excited. Feelings and emotions bubbled to the surface on a daily basis, most were not so pleasant.
The day before, as I searched for bus schedules and finalized lunch accounts, I became frustrated with computer issues and lack of information. Overwhelmed with not accomplishing what I set out to do, I cried.
Logically, I should not cry over a failed computer system or my inability to maneuver it. On most days, I would have moved on easily and effortlessly, but not today. I sat in my office, sobbing, with my cat on my lap, providing support.
I wasn’t crying over the unfinished tasks, I was crying over “loss,”; loss of my children’s innocence, loss of their need for me, loss of myself(as defined by my summer role). Releasing that which no longer served me, helped me to deal with the change.
If only looking at the surface, my family would have thought I was crying over a silly inconvenience. How often do we fail to look beyond the surface of what’s bothering our kids, our spouse, or even ourselves. My children can be moody. It may appear that their attitudes are due to a certain action or inaction on my part or others. In reality, beyond the surface, their feelings and emotions are a reflection of the reality within themselves.
In looking inward, I notice how my reaction is caused by my internal environment. Depending on how I feel physically and mentally, dictates my feelings and emotions. Looking beyond the surface of the problem, with love and compassion, we can delve deeper into the truer meaning behind the reaction. In traveling beyond the surface, we can heal the true cause.
Susan J. McFarland
susanjmcfarland@yahoo.com
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