“Peace is accepting that everything changes. When we stop clinging to how things are, we can let go and embrace what’s growing in front of us. Doing this shifts our mindset from one that’s scared of change to one that’s energized by the excitement of future potential.” —Cory Allen

As a 57-year-old mom of two, I have lived therough my fair share of seasons both literally and figuratively. Like many people around my age, I’ve gone from college to career to marriage to mom. 

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Somehow when you are on your own trajectory as a young person, each season is a welcome one that typically is recognized as another rung in the ladder, helping you ascend to the life you’ve dreamed of. 

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Then as your focus shifts to your family, each stage of parenthood holds its own celebrations and heartbreak. Starting with the development and growth of your baby and all the various stages they go through: birth, sitting up, eating solid foods, walking, heading off to preschool. Each stage and their transition through it bring a new set of emotions — the passing of one chapter into the next — fraught with excitement, anxiety and cautious optimism about what lies ahead.

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While riding that wave when they’re younger can feel scary, it is reassuring to know that they are still dependent upon you for getting them to school, teaching them the ways of life, and struggling through their homework. You always know that they are coming back home where you can continue to guide and teach them. And, well, let’s face it — keep tabs on them. 

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But something happens when they graduate from high school and begin the part of the journey without you. It’s summer, and some of you may be in process of dropping your kids at college or sending them off on their own. All you really have is the hope and trust that all those years prior — in which you poured your love, advice and discipline into them — provided them a toolbox of sorts that they will call upon as they navigate their own adult path. 

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And then it happens. You find yourself at the beginning of a brand-new season. One that shifts the focus back to you. And all the choices you’ve made to date, from where you chose to live to the partner you selected to join you on this journey, all come under renewed scrutiny. Suddenly, with the absence of this other being to focus on, it all comes down to you.

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This stage of life is rife with transition. Your emptying nest. Divorce. Career changes. The loss of your parents and in-laws. Retirement. For many people, this is a tumultuous time. And if you were the primary caregiver of your children? It can be terrifying as well.

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But here’s the thing. Transition, like the seasons, is inevitable. The good news? You have a choice. You can choose to be overwhelmed and terrified or you can focus on the positive. You can look at this time as an adventure. As a time to trust all the wisdom you have accumulated over the past 20 years to guide you into your next chapter. One step at a time.