The Iconic C.S. Lewis once said, “Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when we look back, everything is different?"

Change is something we all experience whether we are freshman moving out of the dorms and into our sorority house, a senior about to graduate and move into the place we call the “real world," or somewhere in between trying to figure out what's going on. We all experience change. Change takes form in many different avenues; in our friends, our sororities, and our circumstances.

Sometimes we realize that some people are not who they used to be. They can be one of your closest friends at one point and become a stranger the next. Whether that is a change in the person they were, the person you are, or just a shift in the relationship, it happens. A lot of the time doesn't mean there has to be a huge falling out, it can just happen from growing a part.

Other times we see ourselves growing further apart from our sorority sisters, whether it's because of the lack of time we dedicate to our sorority, you are busy with school, or simply just do not have the time like you did when you first pledged.

Change is normal, and change is always good no matter how we initially see it. Change can cause us to wake up and realize things we did not see before. Change allows us to do something different than before. Change gives us opportunities.

Although change is normal, I can attest that many of us hate change. I love having a routine, having the same friends I can always count on, and having things to do in my life that are constant. When I am busy (which is literally all four years of college for all of us), I love having things that do not change, yet when they do, all hell can break loose. As much as I wish I could embrace change with open arms, it is a constant struggle for me.

So how can we cope with change if our welcoming arms aren't so wide open?

We can start by focusing on the people who are constant, the ones who are dedicated to you no matter what, those friends you can call at any time of the day and they will drop everything for you. I am lucky enough to have a good handful of people who will do that for me. If you are not as blessed to have experienced that yet, call your family because no matter what, they will always be there for you.

If you like to cope on your own, go do something that you love to do, like going on a walk, a run, boxing (like me), get froyo shamelessly by yourself, craft things if you're artsy, read a book at your favorite coffeeshop, write, take a Netflix binge, clean if you're into that, whatever. Just take your mind off things for a little while. A change in setting is always a good idea.

These are just two ways to help you cope with change, but the more you focus on the positive aspects of your life, the easier it will become to embrace that change and love it for what it is.

Just stop and take a breath,

Em