When the Seasons Change, it's Time to Change with Them

When the seasons change, it’s time to change with them.  We’re not only talking about when the seasons outside change.  It’s not just switching to warm weather Autumn clothes and bring in fall home décor that’s important.  I’m also talking about when the seasons of life change.
It’s not always apparent when you end one chapter or season of your life an enter another.  Sometimes a major life event closes the curtains on one act to usher in another and you’re fully aware that life is changing forever.  But other times the change is more gradual and you just can’t see it when you’re in the midst of day-to-day life.
The seasons of life for moms often depend so greatly on the people depending on us: the kids, the spouse, the aging parents, the teachers and troop leaders.
Babies grow into toddlers, tweens turn into ever-more-independent teens, your spouse may even take on hobbies that don’t interest you.  You may find that even though the last stage of your life had you spending 7 hours a day holding, feeding, changing and cuddling a baby, you now have a lot more time on your hands since your baby has grown into a preschooler and wants to do everything for himself.
The seasons of life for moms often depend so greatly on the people depending on us.
It’s also possible that your personal needs for fulfillment or career or volunteering will change as time passes and you grow as a person.

Realizing that Things Have Changed but Not Knowing Who You Are Anymore

It’s somewhat of an eerie feeling as you realized that the normal everyday routine has changed and that you must change along with it.
You obviously knew who you were and what your role was for the last 6 months or 2 years or 10 years or however long your life has been in its same familiar “safe” routine.  But what do you do when the seasons of life are changing and you feel like you don’t know who you are anymore?
This question is not so easy, because a person’s identity can easily be tied to their everyday activities.  When those activities stop being the focus of your time, you’re left to really look inside and find something more personal to be about.
Think back to a time before you had to focus most of your time and energy on other people (kids, spouse, elderly parents, students).  Once you’ve remembered this specific time in your life, get out a notebook and write down as much as you can remember:

• What did you like to do in your free time?
• What kind of music did you listen to?
• What kind of books and magazines did you read?
• What kind of stores did you browse and shop at?
• What kind of TV shows and movies did you watch?
• Did you like to travel and explore new places?
• What did you “want to be when you grew up”?
• What career did you have before?
• What career  or projects did you dream of doing?
• What education programs , degrees, or courses were you involved in or wanted to do?
• What kind of clothes did you wear?
• What kind of friends did you spend time with?
• What kind of volunteer organizations, charities, or community groups did you work with?

Harvesting all of this information from a slower or calmer time in your life can be a great starting point for how to start being deliberate as the season of your life is changing.  Of course, it’s not likely that you’d ever be replicate a time in your life exactly.
However, pulling from the things that once were important and enjoyable to you can help you to discover new directions your life can take you.  This information can help you decide on new activities, careers, projects and so much more that you’d like to concentrate on.

The Seasons are Changing – Outside and In

Don’t be afraid to change with the seasons, whether outside in the world or inside in your personal life.  Autumn, harvest and winter are really about things coming to an end.  Maybe that’s why it’s such a time of reinvention and personal reflection.  Fall is a time for some things to end and make way for others.
When the seasons change, it’s time to change with them.  Spend some time talking to your spouse about the changes to get their input and insight.  Make time to pray about the situation.  For some people it even helps to write in a diary, journal or blog about the process to make better sense of your choices.
Always remember that being deliberate with your choices can seem hard or confusing in the beginning, but choosing what you want your life to be about is a worthy project to tackle.