In Transition

Webster's definition of transition is:
a : passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another : change
b : a movement, development, or evolution from one form, stage, or style to another

Autumn is definitely a time of transition.....here in the Midwest our weather changes from hot and humid to warm (we hope) and drier. Sunny, fall days are so sweet.....the air can be crisp in the morning and very warm by mid afternoon; the trees are full of oranges, yellows, & reds; the leaves crackle underfoot. I am beginning to love autumn (except for the fact that I am not fooled and know winter will soon be on it's heels). Fall like weather crashed into this area today after a wonderful Indian Summer. It's inevitable, and we know it....whether we like it or not.

My closet is in transition too. I am slowly packing away capris and tank tops....and bringing lighter sweaters and long sleeve tees out to the front. I dread bringing out the heavy, dark, winter sweaters and turtlenecks. Unfortunately I have a very small closet and have to move things twice a year. Boots, hats, and gloves will be finding a place in the coat closet again also.

Another transition that is inevitable and not pleasant is death. My best friend and her family are desperately trying to make peace with that transition. Not only are her family members my friends...they are my family too. They are the family of hubby's first wife: my step children's aunts & uncle & cousins & grandma. They are a close family and have 'adopted' me into the family, our holiday celebrations are almost always with them....hubby's parents passed away long before we met, his siblings celebrate with their immediate families, and my family lives out of town. Grandma celebrated her 92nd birthday last month with a family dinner at a local supper club. She's lived alone and taken care of herself and been active up until she went into the hospital last weekend with pneumonia. Her mind is sharp and she has decided that she does not want to be on the meds....they make her sick.....hospice has been called in and the family waits, cries, worries, prays, tries to have some sort of normalcy in their lives..... It makes me cry to see them suffering over the eminent loss of their mom, my kids grandma, great-grandma to my grandkids (and her other grandkids). There is nothing anyone can do ......there are no right words- only prayers, hugs, and a listening ear is all I can do. It's inevitable, and we know it....whether we like it or not. I know someday I will face the same heartbreaking ordeal with my mother.