It’s Friday, and I’m meeting up with the community of Five Minute Friday at the Gypsy Mama for some free writing fun. Here are the rules: follow the prompt, no extreme editing, write for five minutes flat and encourage the person who linked up just before you. Would you like to join?
Today’s word is CHANGE.
{GO}
I feel change.
It pushes cold through my stocking feet laying flat on the front porch.
I feel it in the morning bite that draws me to pull on a hat for a morning walk.
I feel it in the bags of school supplies stacked along our bedroom wall.
I feel it in the setting of alarms to ready little bodies for the shock to the system of next week.
I feel it in the stirrings that move us from I don’t ever want summer to be over to This will be good and I’m ready.
Change like this is gradual, seeping into air, infusing leaves with earthen color. It enters through a hidden door of the spirit.
I don’t jump up and down for the change, but I know in some place of faith that it will be good.
Standing for the first day of school photo with a new outfit and a different smile.
Fresh apple cider and back to school nights.
First days of fifth grade and second grade and preschool for these little people.
The change moves through our world, slow and fantastic at the same time, like an old Disney film, featuring the amazing advances of Technicolor vision.
Across land, across sky, across faces.
{STOP}
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
This is a beautiful writing. I was taken on a journey through your changing season. Stopped over from the 5MF!
Thanks for joining me on the journey, Barbie, and for your kind comment. I’m loving this 5MF community.
Love this! Change has always been difficult for me, but your beautiful words about the changing of seasons remind me how excited I am for fall days and cool nights and everything the last quarter of the year holds. Excellent perspective, as always :)
Thank you, Laura! Something about embracing the seasonal changes seems to help me embrace the other kinds of change that are more painful. So glad to have “met you” through writing.
I agree that change can be tough, but oh soo exciting too! Your writing always brightens my tired mornings Ash. Have a wonderful last weekend of summer break!
Aw, thanks, Becca. You too. Enjoy these last days of summer.
This week my dear you have hit every emotion in my heart. We are up for some absolutely HUGE painful changes in the next few months. It is up to ME how I view each season Christ gives me. I embrace it knowing I am in His hands – my children are in His hands or I run in fear. I tend to lean toward running but the embracing is where I will find peace. THANK YOU.
I love how simply, but profoundly you put it, Tiff: running in fear or embracing in peace. Thank you. And I will be praying for you in all your painful changes. Blessings, friend.
We should be getting pretty good at change, with all the practice each year and each year of seasons gives us. And yet some change we anticipate and embrace and others we fear and resist. (We humans have such a difficult time living only in the moment, where things are never truly “changing” but only as they “are”.) As always Ashley, your writing is rich and evocative with its imagery. You cause us to think, to open and feel. I’m ever grateful! xo
Thank you, Mama. You’re right. We do get practice in the rhythm of the seasons year after year around us…such an opportunity to allow that to be a metaphor for other change in our lives. And yes, I love what you say about being present because the present moment just is. When I think of life as present moments strung together, it does create a certain freedom from the fear of change that wants to creep in — the fear that’s based on the unknown of what’s to come.
There’s a great good coming, dear Ashley and we’re all a part of it. . . time to ask our Lord how He wants us to prepare for what He has for us to do. I love your five minute fridays. . . some of your finest writing- all from His heart and no editing. You caused me to weep again. Thank you for “showing up”. I’m feeling grateful, as always, that your family is a part of our Church home.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Janet, and the reminder of the best change that is ahead. It is a joy to do life with you.
Awesome writing.
Thank you, Denise. I appreciate your comment!
I really enjoyed reading this – beautiful writing!
Thanks so much, Liz. I’m glad you came by!
This is my first visit. I found you through a link from the recent Mops devotional email. After reading your words and friends’ words, and after much weeping (tears falling fast and hard like small, heavy puddles) I feel uplifted, encouraged, understood, and known. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the everyday job of mothering; touching on the fear and discomfort of change (I didn’t know others felt so strongly about it too); discussing the ability to still be loved after giving in to anger and wanting to pull those unkind words back; wanting to reach out to help others in need; reminding me of the importance of being present and giving good life examples to our children; and lastly listening to God, trusting His care and letting his Love come through. You can see I’ve been doing some good reading tonight! I’m glad I found you! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :)
I’m glad to meet you here, E! Thank you. I am deeply touched by your words and thoughts. It is so good to meet kindred spirits — to know we are not alone in the pain and beauty of this journey. Blessings to you. Hope to see you again in these parts.