changes

"Change is such hard work."

Billy Crystal

i know that change is always a part of life, but some days, it seems too much to bear. 

don't get me wrong, i love the beginning of the school year. i love the excitement it brings. the joy on the boys faces when they visit with their new teachers. i love the smell of a new box of crayons and the feel of fresh, crisp notebooks. i love the search for the perfect first day outfit.

and yet, sadly, there is a bit of a tinge with each first day of school, each new skill learned, each tooth lost... it's just one more reminder that they are growing and changing every day.

and even more...i feel it in the air...i feel it coming. change. 

i know change is a constant part of life, but sometimes it just stinks.

i know this sounds silly, but i look at our oldest dog, molly, and i see her getting older too. just this week, she stopped sleeping in our bed. she has slept in our bed every night since she was a week old. and now she sleeps on a blanket on the floor. it just makes me so sad to watch her turn into an old lady puppy. however, i am happy to say that she has started jumping on the furniture again! :)

and then i look at my dad and how his body is slowly changing. he has some good days and good moments during difficult days. lately, some days have been more of a challenge for all of us to live together under this one roof. it is so difficult for me to watch him decline. he has lost about 15 pounds since january and just looks so tired all the time.

we are all working on taking everything one day, one hour, one moment at a time.

and yes...
change is difficult.
change is neverending.
change is life.
life is change.