One of the things that can make a transition difficult is when it wasn’t chosen—even more so when it follows a disappointment or perceived failure. It’s not hard to imagine that adjusting to the death of a loved one or an unexpected job loss is deeply challenging.
Which is why it can be surprising to people when a change that is voluntary, or at least comes as the result of a healthy evolution, is often very jarring too. When I was navigating the ‘emptying nest’ stage of our family (which lasted almost a decade for us—who knew??!), I remember saying to a friend, “I feel ridiculous struggling with this. It’s all good news! My kids are launching exactly as we all hoped they would—this is a happy story, not a tragic one. So why am I such a mess?”
Continue reading “Hard Good News”