Change is hard, including changes in friendships. You and I CAN make friends with change. God empowers us to do hard.
“Blue? NO WAY!” I spilled more M‘n’Ms into my hand.
Among the usual bunch — red, green, brown, orange, yellow (especially cheerful yellow) — huddled blue intruders, pretending they belong. They didn’t.
“Oh. . .no! What happened to tan?”
I checked the bag again.
Gone!
I counted on him. Not showoff-y but steady. Like my plump, beige cat.
As crazy as it sounds, when Mars changed the color lineup of its meltinyourmouth, notinyourhand candies many years ago, my safe little world got ugly. My problem with the new and not improved M‘n’Ms had little to do with food dyes but what the color switch-a-roo symbolized: change. Change was not my friend. It still isn’t.
I don’t do change well. Who does?
Some examples:
A parents’ divorce — “Whom do I live with? Is it okay to miss my dad? To love him? I’m confused. Am I a bad girl?”
The new kid at school — “Will the other kids like me? Why did my parents do this to me THREE TIMES in middle school? Are they insane? I feel left out?”
A new baby — “I love my little Laura, but why does she cry so much? Am I a horrible mom? The other moms make this look easy. What’s wrong with me?”
Depression or anxiety hits a loved one — “Whoa! God, I cannot count on this person as I had. When should I comfort? When should I get outside help? Why? Why? Why? Why did you allow this?”
A friend moves — “I miss her bad. I know we can keep up through email and texting, but I miss sharing coffee together in person. I feel lonely.”
Change is crazy-hard. Even good change.
I’m learning to roll with change and with changes in friendships.
By the way, I still pick out the blue M’n’Ms before munching. Pesky intruders.
A Friendly Question: Have you made friends with change? Or with friendships that change?
You Are Blessed,
