To be a little cliché, I find myself in a season of change. Over the past several months, maybe longer, my world has been shifting in ways big and small. The biggest? My oldest child left for college a few weeks ago.
We spent the past year doing all things “Senior,” celebrating the “lasts” of high school and, really, the “lasts” of her childhood. Somewhere along the way last school year, she quietly slipped into adulthood, the kind that still needs a little nudging, but adulthood all the same. Then came the whirlwind of summer: dorm shopping, endless checklists, and trying to soak up every last bit of family time.
There’s a phrase “soiling the nest.” It describes how kids, before leaving home, sometimes make the separation easier by driving their parents a little crazy. And if you ask the kids, they’d say the same about us. It works both ways. Many of my friends went through this too. By the end of summer, I was ready. Ready to see her spread her wings… and yes, ready to reclaim my dining room from the mountain of college gear.
Even though I was ready, the first few days after drop-off were hard. The university kept the freshmen so busy they hardly had time to breathe, let alone call home. My husband, son, and I tried to give her space. But as the days stretched with barely a text, I found myself spiraling. I wanted to hear everything, every detail of her new life, but I knew I had to wait. Finally, after five days, she called. And not just for three minutes. A real call. She’s thriving, just as we hoped she would.
Of course, seasons of change aren’t just about parenting. They come for all of us. Starting a new job, moving to a new place, letting go of a friendship or relationship, change is part of life. It can be exciting and terrifying all at once. Sometimes it’s planned, sometimes it blindsides us.
At work, when The Hub was starting out, my organization was given a donation to purchase a building. It was sudden and unexpected, but a welcome change. We purchased the building but had to wait while it was being remodeled for our use. Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation. We know change is in our future, but we don’t know what it looks like.With sudden change, there’s often that strange in-between moment. You know there’s a before and an after, but you’re stuck in the pause between them.
With my daughter, it was the opposite. That change crept in slowly, almost imperceptibly, until one day I realized everything was different.
And that’s the thing about change. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the change itself, it’s the waiting. Waiting to see how it plays out, how you’ll react, what will actually happen. All you can do is prepare as best you can, and then be willing to pivot. To change course. To face the unexpected.
Because ready or not, the season always shifts.
Erin Eveland is Executive Director of The Hub Arts & Cultural Center in Rushville.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Tri States Public Radio or its license holder, Western Illinois University.
Diverse opinions are welcomed and encouraged.