The Unstoppable Tide of Change

When I was young, I hated change. I thought a change was the worst thing ever, with good reason. Kids typically need a sense of security and nothing gives a kid more security than everything staying the same. As I got older though, I learned to embrace change. You'll never know how good - or bad as the case may be - something is until you try something new. After all, if things don't change you can suffer from boredom and stagnation.

I've gone through plenty of positive changes over the years: moving to different states, having children, taking a chance on a new employer, etc. Just this year, in fact, I went through another big change. While I stayed with the same employer I had been at for nearly three years, I took a different position with more responsibility and higher pay. While it's been wonderful in some ways, it's also been difficult in others. While I made a positive step in my career, I left an office of people that I adored. We had great camaraderie together and a sense of family. I was happy, then, when I moved over to my new position to make a friend almost right away. 

Emily started working for my employer, and my new department, about three weeks before me so we instantly bonded. Over the intervening months, we became good work friends, taking lunches together, running various errands for our job, and doing personal errands on lunch breaks. Since I walk back and forth to work, she was instrumental in helping me get personal business things taken care of during the workweek.

So, when Emily decided to get married and be a stay-at-home wife, I did what any good friend would do, and that was to be happy for her and congratulate her. This was something she had always wanted from her life and her fiance felt the same way. How could I not be happy for her? Well, while I was happy for her, I was sad for me. Not only was I losing my work friend - the person I could talk to day in and day out about all my ups and downs - but also all the little things we would do together - like go out for lunch and errand-running. 

She got married a few weeks ago, and I admit that I miss her quite a bit. Oh, I've adjusted, but work hasn't been quite the same. Such is life. Change is inevitable and since we can't stop it, the next best thing we can do is embrace it. We're searching for her replacement, and I get to help in the process. I hope her replacement is as good at the job as she was, and who knows? Maybe I'll gain a new work friend.

I hope you had a good weekend, my friends, and that you're living your best life. My latest piece on Helmet is up on the Slime&Grime site, so go check it out!