Life has recently brought me to transition and change. My only child, a daughter, recently began her first year of college. The beginning of August brought lots of shopping, cleaning, and packing as she was eagerly anticipating this next step in her life journey. There were days of going to store after store buying the necessary items for dorm living. There were days of sorting through her closet and dresser drawers deciding on what clothes to take and what to give away. There were days of clearing out the clutter in her room to leave it in a way that made mom happy. 😉

Move-in day came and after many trips up 4 flights of stairs (no elevator) with all of her belongings, she began to unpack and settle in. After a last lunch together, we took a walk around campus and it was time to say good-bye. This had to be one of the hardest moments of parenting yet. We were all crying as we anticipated the changes, although she was probably more excited than sad.

Transition and change is not always easy. But, it is a necessary part of our journey in life. One we have to embrace no matter how hard because it helps us grow and find either a new part of our self or rediscover an old one. However, it is also important to allow the emotions that arise with any change to be expressed and released so that they don’t become trapped and stuck in our bodies. 

My art and creativity have given me a place to turn to express what I may be trying to hide from others, from myself, and even from God. As I sat with my art journal earlier this week, I just started to doodle as I often do to help the creative juices start to flow. My doodle actually turned into a simple expression of this recent change in my life and I could rest in the release of the sadness.