Hardening off (or preparing for change)

Hardening off: a process that allows plants to adjust to the new conditions they'll encounter to help prevent negative impacts from sudden changes.

I sure could use some hardening off... the impact of extreme sudden changes is taking a heavy toll. Perhaps if I'd had the tools to be more observant, to know how to better express my own experiences, to interject if necessary, to see the roots of the issues at hand before they became too deep... this wouldn't seem so sudden, and maybe could have been avoided. That would have been my preference. But I don't have those tools, at least not to the degree they're required.

So now it's moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day. Looking ahead to the future but trying to get through today. Allowing all of those well-concealed, possibly buried, certainly protected, feelings to rise toward the light so that they never have to be afraid of being exposed, ever again.

I'm grateful for the nurturing and support of friends. Without that, moment by moment, day by day would be so much more difficult.