It's Only a Phase

When you are 6, having a loose tooth is a time for great excitement and anticipation.  It is a badge of honor and an event that is worthy of being announced to everyone that you see.  I was okay when he lost his bottom teeth, but now that the top two are loose, it’s a different story.  I joke with him that I will sneak into his room at night and glue his teeth in so they won’t fall out.  I will admit there is something endearing, fun and light-hearted about a child with a smile that resembles a jack-o-lantern.  However when those big teeth come in, they’re a reminder that my little one is growing up.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my friend told me “Just remember, it’s only a phase.”  It’s one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten and one that I pass along to all my pregnant friends.  It helped carry me through many sleepless nights.  During the seemingly endless days when nothing seemed to be going “right”, I would keep reminding myself that this was just a phase, hoping that it would hurry up.

At the time, I thought “It’s only a phase” applied only to babies and possibly toddlers.  Now I realize it applies to not only to all children, at every age, but pretty much everything in life.  In spite of all our attempts to control things, change is constant.  Nothing stays the same for long.  When you think about it logically, we know that we have to be ready to adjust to changing situations – the loss of a job or loved one, moving to a new home or city, etc.  Physical changes are normal and even though they are hard, deep down we know that they are going to happen. 

You may be thinking, is EVERYTHING truly a phase?  I seem to have been in the same (fill in the blank) for quite some time and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to change any time soon.  Or maybe it’s a relationship that seems to be stuck and immovable.  What is it that is causing you to feel like it’s stuck?  Have you tried to look at it from a different perspective?  What if you changed your expectations or reaction to a stuck scenario?  Or what if you finally decided to take the action that you knew you should have taken a long time ago?  Chances are you have more control over the phase than you are admitting to yourself.

I know that the day will soon come when those little teeth are gone and I will be forced to accept that one phase is over.  But like so many familiar cliché’s, the end of one phase is the beginning of another, a new chapter, an open door, that will bring with it fun and exciting new experiences.  After all, that’s what pictures are for, I can look back at that cute little smile any time I need to.

Heart-FULLy yours, 

Kacey