One Sunday afternoon, I just decided to paint my fingernails hot pink. I’m not big on painting my nails. It’s not that I don’t like painted fingernails; I just never do it, and when I say, “never,” I mean really, never…like once a year, “never,” maybe twice a year…if you’re really lucky. It’s just not something I really take time to do. I keep my toenails painted throughout the summertime, but my nails, well, I’m just a little impatient to wait on them to dry. However, this particular afternoon, I decided for a little change. Later that night, as I was saying goodnight to my very honest-and-bluntly-spoken twelve year old, he grabbed my hand and said, “What’s THAT?” I responded, “Nail polish. Why?” He said, “Mom, No. It’s just not your thing.” He didn’t say this to be mean, really; he was just speaking from that honest heart of his; yet, I didn’t know whether to be offended or to laugh…

I chose to laugh; however, it did cause me to start thinking. That nail polish represented something which, too often, we may avoid: CHANGE. That nail polish was such a stark contrast to my methodical way of life. That is just my way. I like methods and procedures. I enjoy plans and predictabilities. I like analyzing a situation and being able to find a solution. I like the old statement, “There is a place for everything, and everything has it’s place.” That’s just the way God hardwired me. I have a routine, and I generally stick to it; so, when I change something, even as simple as nail polish, to my children, it may not seem to be “my thing.” However, the nail polish was fun, and it made me feel pretty that particular day, and that little bit of change did me good. Yet, it made me wonder how often we, as humans, as creatures of habit, become so comfortable in our “routines” that we miss out on even the little things of change which might bring life back into our being…

I left the nail polish on for a few days, as I pondered these thoughts…I came to this conclusion: a little change is okay once in a while. We should all try something new. Keep yourself alive through the change! If we’re always seeking change, we, as well as those closes to us, may never have the stability and peace we need; however, if we’re never changing, we will never grow and develop, and an early death will be certain…if not physical, it may very well be emotional, mental or spiritual. Everything that grows must encounter change. A seed that grows into a beautiful rose must first change from a tiny seed into a rose vine, followed by a tiny bud covered by sepals, and then, as the tiny bud grows, the sepals open, and the flower blooms and changes into the beautiful rose. A bear is first a tiny cub before it grows and changes into a momma bear, and every elderly person was once a little babe who first grew into a small child, then into an adolescent, followed by a young adult, evolving into a full grown adult, and finally becoming an elderly adult. We don’t, necessarily, have a choice in our physical growth; as my husband jokingly states, “We are all growing older and uglier every day!” Yet, when it comes to our mental, emotional, and spiritual growth, we do have a choice. If we choose not to grow in these vital areas; then, we actually have chosen to allow that particular area to die and the others to eventually follow. An early death, whether it be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, is always tragic. I have never once heard someone say, “Well, it’s a good thing he/she died so young.” It’s always a tragedy, and it always brings heartache. The only way we can stay alive is to allow change into our life! If you’re like me, and lots of change can, sometimes, bring feelings of apprehension and hesitation, just start with a few little things, and work yourself toward the big things. Although it may be a little “out of our norm,” change can be good for us….even if it is a little bit of hot pink nail polish!