“Weep not that the world changes — did it keep a stable, changeless state, it were cause indeed to weep.”

– William Cullen Bryant

I remember thinking, when I was a girl, that my parents’ routine and predictable life must be boring.  They seemed to do the same, repetitive things day in and day out.  When I grew up, I was going to lead a more exciting life.  I do think that my life has been pretty exciting; but I must admit as I get older that I find myself more and more dependent on routines.  I get up at the same time every morning.  I write at the same time every day, follow the same rhythm of laundry, cleaning, and cooking.  I shut down each night at ten and go to bed.  These routines work for me, and I am comfortable having them as the framework of my life.  The world changes, but my own part of it remains trustworthy and stable.

I think having a framework of stability is probably a good thing, provided we use it only as a backdrop for the ever-changing details of our lives.  It is easy to fall into patterns that are unnecessary and think that we need them in order to survive.  When we cling to habits that we really don’t need for survival, we run the risk of shutting out the good things that come to us in the form of change.

I watch my elderly parents as they struggle to adapt to the new things that come to their old life, and I see that they often become upset with the way things evolve and long to cling to the way it used to be.  It makes me think that I would be wise to not only embrace change, but even to seek it each day.  Change allows us to see the world from a new angle.  Embracing change means embracing more of life; and I, for one, would like to ride the waves of change rather than find myself hanging onto a lifeboat and waiting to be rescued from the new and different things that come my way.

Give it a try.  I have a feeling that life is survival of the most adaptable.  Let’s learn to adapt.  If you always sit in the same chair, try moving to another seat.  If you take the same route to familiar destinations, try a new road.  We say we want life to be exciting, and being a part of the evolution of life is the best way to stay engaged in living abundantly.  Don’t weep because the world changes — weep if it would stay forever the same.