New Day, Different View

I write here within my sheltered and quiet little world then drive off into my day and think about what I have written.

My morning thoughts are the most unfiltered words of my day. This can be good or it can be bad. Quite often, the words are simply the seeds of ideas which I wake up with and they grow throughout the day.

Yesterday, I wrote about the adjustment period I'm going through after I switched bedrooms a few days prior. I wrote of the minor inconvenience of having to change my routine and find my new normal.

Then I drove into my day where I hang out with friends who could be my mother.

I spend my days in and around seniors who have moved into retirement residences. They are living independently but they have packed up their lifetime and moved it into smaller quarters, into a city which has not been their home and they have readjusted their lives to fit into their new surroundings.

They have done this willingly and on their own. There are support systems in place and they aren't alone in trying to make this change. But the change is huge.

Everyone's situation is different and each person adapts in their own way. A person who has spent a good portion of their life moving to different locations may adjust easier than one who settles in and makes one house their forever home.

I can't help but think of Mom and our wish that she would have decided to move back close to her family home so she could be nestled in and among family and old friends. She often said "If only I could pick up this house and move it ..." she may have considered the notion.

Moving locations is one thing. Uprooting your life and moving an entire lifetime of belongings into a smaller space is another.

The thing "all of the above" has in common is the ability to choose. Feeling in control of your life, where you are and how you live is one of our greatest gifts. I cannot help but think of those who are unable to make those very same choices. When a health situation changes circumstances and others have to make that choice for you.

This brings me to Dad. He suffered a severe brain injury after a massive heart attack and he was at the mercy of those who made necessary choices for him. As dire as this situation sounds, he was still one of the fortunate ones. Mom made decisions in Dad's best interest. A multitude of thoughts waft through my mind as I write these words but most importantly, even though he never came home again he was not alone.

I think of those who are not so fortunate. Those who find themselves in a situation where changes must be made but they don't have a support system in place to advocate for them, walk with them and most importantly sit beside them as they adapt to a life that was not of their choosing.

I think of the variety of ways we lose our ability to be in control of our own destiny. To maintain one's health is a blessing. To hold onto our memories, our ability to communicate and live within a body that allows us to live independently is a gift beyond words.

As I navigate through the minor changes I voluntarily make within this sheltered little life I lead, I must remind myself how fortunate I am. I walked through this morning with an entirely different perspective. I feel like I am living in a whole new home and all I had to do to accomplish this was move a few belongings upstairs.

I have an entirely new view of my world and I didn't even have to leave home to find it. Sometimes a new perspective is the best thing one can find.