This I Believe

Change

Have you thought your life was going great only to have tragedy strike in the midst of it? It often seems that when we have things all planned out a curve gets thrown at us and we must reevaluate our lives. However, it is amazing that sometimes these curves are the greatest blessings in our lives. It is how we handle the curves that define our character; that makes us who we are. Through these experiences we discover what is really important and find strength from those who will always be there.

This was the case my Junior year of high school. Everything was going my way. My senior year was going to be the highlight of high school. I was looking forward to the water polo and swim seasons. These sports consumed almost every aspect of my life. I was planning on playing water polo in college while working hard and having fun. Everything was going well until one day my dad announced to our family that we would be moving to Idaho at the end of the school year.

With this announcement I felt like everything I had been working so hard for had been ripped away from me. I felt betrayed by my parents, confused about what to do, lost, and terrified for the future. I would no longer be able to play water polo. I had to give up everything that was familiar and start over again, make new friends, re-evaluate where I was going to go to college, and spend my senior year somewhere I didn’t want to be.

It is through this experience, and others like it, that I have come to believe in the power and necessity of change. Change is often a terrifying process which puts you out of your comfort zone and forces you to face your insecurities. Through change and the unfamiliar, true character and values take shape and become evident.

In moving I was forced to leave my familiar surroundings. I could no longer hide behind my friends and usual comforts that once defined me. I had to re-discover who I was and what really makes me the person that I am.

During this time of uncertainty I discovered that I draw my strength from my family. They support me when I feel terrified for the future. There were countless nights I laid in bed crying because I felt like there was no way I could move. My sister reassured me everything would all work out in the end. Likewise, my brother and parents always supported me when I needed it the most. I realized that without my family big changes would be nearly impossible.

In the next few months I am going to, once again, be faced with some life-altering changes as I go off to college. I know this is just a part of life and as long as I have my family supporting me I will be able to face any change that comes my way.

In moving I discovered that sometimes the things you think are most important really don’t matter at all. If I had not moved I would have spent my last year in California consumed with my own agenda. I never would have realized what a gift my family is and how precious our time is together. Now as I look back I can see that what I gave up means nothing compared to what I have gained. I’ve gained respect, love, and confidence in my family that could have only come from going through such a hard and life changing experience.

Change may not be easy; in most cases it’s not. It is by going outside our comfort zone and extending our horizons that we develop character and a sense of what is really important. Change is a necessary process everyone must face multiple times throughout their lives. I believe in the necessity, power, and good that comes from change.