Turn in the Road

It's interesting when you find yourself in the middle of a turn in the road. I don't know why I find myself feeling surprised. Change happens. Especially when you have kids.

We recently closed a long chapter of hosting a weekly fellowship night that we've hosted for seven years. That's a long time to continue a weekly fellowship group. We had a great time, saw lots of growth and change in people, including us.

I guess I'm just connecting my current experience with what I've been teaching in my seminars and writing about in my book. It's important to check in with yourself. It's important to know who you are now, and take a look at where you're headed.

We are experiencing a change in our house. Our family is shifting. The girls are growing up and we're in a home stretch right now. We're rounding the bend and heading straight into the final lap before all our lives transition into new stages. My youngest is facing her senior year in high school. My middle stepdaughter is headed for France for the first semester of her senior year in college. My oldest is expecting her first baby in a couple of months. Once everyone graduates, my husband and I are free to move to the East coast--the dream we've been holding out for during these past several years.

That's a lot of change. Girls starting their own lives, a grandbaby, and a tremendous relocation after living in Tennessee for the past couple of decades.

So we're taking stock. A little amazed, a little nervous, and bewildered at what lies ahead. Nothing new about the fact that change is interesting.

So here's to all of those who are facing change. May we have the grace for the new, an appreciation for the former, and courage for the inevitable stretching that will come in between.

Thanks for listening.


(c) 2010 Sheri Smith Bertolini

The Right Kind of Tension

While working on my manuscript, I've explored several websites which aid writers in the daunting task of cranking out their first book. When I take a break, I work out on the elliptical. While I work out, I normally watch a DVD. But instead of watching the movie, I listen to the director's commentary of the movie. I love learning how the movie came to be.

I've noticed a common theme in both book-writing advice, how to write a successful comedy, and how our lives stay on track:  Tension.

Not the tension that causes undue stress and makes you crazy. This is tension we need to live and thrive. Comedy, I learned, always needs tension. If there is no tension, nothing is funny. Muscles don't get stronger without tension and resistance. Without stretching our minds, we don't learn. Without pushing, stretching and strain, babies aren't born--neither are ideas.

I've found myself musing over the fact that deadlines, not enough money, jeans that won't zip, and no milk in the fridge provide a vital component to my day. And instead of fighting and complaining about it, I am beginning to see a change: I welcome the opportunity for growth.

Before you start calling me Pollyanna, think about what tensions you are grappling with today. Just pause for a moment and think about what you're trying to fix, overcome, complete, or even start, and say, "Thank you." These little tensions are keeping us alive and thriving. If they didn't exist, we'd all be blobs in bed!

Here's to all the tensions ahead on this grey Monday morning. Yeehaw!


(c) 2010 Sheri Smith Bertolini