Jack and I are trying to walk twice a day. His trainer says he needs two sixty-minute sessions to deal with his anxiety over living in a new city or a city at all.

The vast expanse of the desert is all Jack has ever known, so he is learning there are other people, dogs, and squirrels in the world. Mailmen who come right through the front gate and put things in a strange box that is way too close to the house, neighbors walking by, skateboarders, motorcycles, you name it, and Jack is experiencing it up close and personal for the first time.

He’s a bit terrified at times, and yet he is getting the hang of things. His new home is much smaller, and we are all a lot closer together. He loves that part. And he loves to walk.

It occurred to me today that if Jack needs two hours of exercise a day to deal with his anxiety, I should probably just lace up my new bright pink tennies at dawn and walk all damn day.

Change is difficult. It brings things to the surface. Flushes us out and allows for a new perspective. It can feel like opening up the windows and letting in some air or trying to cross a busy freeway. Maybe without shoes. Yeah, barefoot and dodging cars in the middle of a heatwave. Change can feel like that some days.

Change is revealing. It uncovers your place, the role you’ve either assumed or been given amid the status quo. Are you truly loved, respected, bullied, or belittled? Make a change, and the answers are right there.

Change is good. A fresh coat of paint. A new set of eyes. Joy in condensation, an evening breeze, or the mesmerizing beauty of a bloom. Doing things differently teaches us something we may have been missing, pieces of ourselves we might have tucked away for far too long.

There are things in my life I regret. Times I allowed, ignored, or forgot just enough to justify. I can not think of a change that, given enough time, turned out to be a mistake.

Well, there was that time I convinced myself I had the right bone structure for super short hair. But, hair grows, so for the purposes of this post, let’s forget that one.

My point is whether I was moving furniture to the other wall only to move it back again, or losing someone’s number who no longer wished me well, change has not only served me, it has taught me some of my greatest lessons.

This latest change will be no different. It may take some time. Jack and I will need to be brave. Until then, we will pack our pockets full of treats and walk our asses off.

My thoughts from the laundry room. New Mattress.

balance choices coping courage fears hope Jack joy learning life meaning patience people thoughts change choices coping learning life pain thoughts winging it