I have never liked change. When something feels comfortable I want it to stay that way. Unfortunately, 2017 was a year that came with a lot of change.

I used to be afraid of changing the wallpaper in our house or the color of my room fearing that all of the memories that were created while it was around would fade. Was this true? Obviously not, but it was a rational concern for 7-year-old me to have. Little did I know that the changes that occur throughout your lifetime would be much more severe than this.

Every year relationships change, but for some reason, that seemed to be a common trend this year. I started to realize who in my life was really interested in being involved in my life and those who would only come around when it was convenient for them. But that’s all a part of growing up, right? Not everyone is supposed to stick around.

Change is truly a traumatic experience for those who hate it. Especially those who like to plan things out and look towards the future, like me. I constantly feel as if I need to have my life planned out at such a young age, but that’s a story for a different time.

Change is something that can keep someone up at night constantly wondering, “what if?” You sit there and wonder why things couldn’t have stayed the same because they were so much easier that way. 2017 has come with a lot of change, but it has also taught me how to adjust and to accept that change is healthy and okay.

I learned to accept that people come and go in your life when they’re supposed to. You can’t make anyone stay if they don’t want to. Beyond this, some people just grow apart from each other and that is totally normal. As people find themselves, values and goals may shift and sometimes they don’t continue to line up with what others around you think. I have learned that everyone is placed in your life for a reason. This reason is to either stay or to either teach you a lesson about life or even about yourself that you didn’t know before and then slowly fade out.

Is this easy by any means? Absolutely not, but it's just another adjustment to get used to. Just like the new color on the wall. As mentioned before, all of these experiences have also taught me a lot about myself that I didn’t know before. If anything, this year has helped to make me stronger.

If you allow it, the constant shifting will drive you crazy and leave you feeling hopeless. I kind of felt this way for a little while, to be honest. I felt as if nothing was ever going to work in my favor, but after awhile, I realized this wasn’t the way to think. Why am I getting so upset over something I can’t change? There are so many things to be grateful for and it’s not worth wasting time on an uncontrollable.

Rather than being sad about something I knew would never be the same, I came to the conclusion that maybe things weren’t supposed to stay the same. How is this benefitting me rather than hurting me?

If we didn’t experience change within our relationships and ourselves throughout our lifetime, I think life would be pretty boring. When something changes, it is definitely accompanied by some pain and discomfort but after a while, those feelings pass. This is because you start to realize that maybe everything does happen for a reason.

So, my advice to you is to embrace change and not run from it. It’s inevitable and could end up putting your life in a positive direction. Only time will tell.

“If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.” -Gail Sheehy