The CD tower was dusty, but there I was, a little girl kneeling on the shag carpet in the living room, picking through my dad and mom’s music collection. I wiped the dust off an old Barbra Streisand CD and played it… over and over. There was a song on the album called “Everything Must Change.” With my best melodramatic opera impression, I belted out,

 

“Everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Cause that’s the way of time
Nothing and no one goes unchanged.
–The young become the old
And mysteries do unfold”

I wasn’t feeling sad listening to these lyrics, because as a child I didn’t fear change. In fact, I didn’t understand what change was. It didn’t seem like much changed at all! Whether I was four or eight, I felt the same, and everything and everyone around me appeared the same.

 

But now, as an adult, there is an obvious contrast between what was and what is.

 

We’ve all transformed, in both mind and body. We recognize what change looks like and know how it feels. We’ve experienced enough of the highs and lows of life to be able to reminisce (loss, death, breakups, growth, and achievement.) We have transitioned through the stages of childhood, high school, college, entered adulthood, started our own families, or are perhaps watching our children leave the nest as adults themselves.

 

It’s easy to get trapped in feeling sadness when reflecting on our past and the stories we will never relive. Or perhaps we feel afraid. But change is part of the beauty of life; Evolving, creating new experiences, meeting new people, and embarking on different adventures.

 

You have a blank canvas in front of you. You can keep trying to paint the same picture over and over again, or you can embrace the present and paint a glorious new image.

 

It’s wonderful to remember the past, and it’s normal to feel nostalgic from time to time, but don’t let your past get you down or tie you down. It has passed. You can’t live the same moment twice and that’s what makes your memories special!

 

There’s a quote that goes, “It’s ok to have a meltdown, just don’t unpack and live there.” I say, “It’s ok to reminisce about the past, but don’t unpack and try to live there”

 

**There are a lot of people and places I miss! Something I’m really enjoying in my life right now is the opportunity I have to work from home, spending time with my pets, visiting with my parents, living in the moment and planning for the future with Trevor, organizing and decorating our home, and all of the organic food we eat.**

 

 

What is one of your happiest memories? Have you had a hard time moving forward or living in the present? What are you enjoying in your life RIGHT now? Comment below