Lots of changes happen throughout our lives. Some changes can be super impactful,  while others are just a bump in the road and don’t seem like much. Both types of changes are not always bad and can sometimes lead to some relatively delightful things. 

Sometimes change makes you feel like your life is going to end. Usually, that isn’t the case. In fact, I feel that these changes are really impactful in the long run. An example of an extensive change that may be really difficult and feel life-ending might be your parents getting divorced. While it can be really hard in the long run, it usually turns out better than expected. Sometimes the parents might be happier and feel more confident. They might accomplish more or find someone new, which is another change that may feel really hard. Personally, I think it means more memories and more family. I suppose it may add to different ways of seeing things too because there’s a new person to help you. This might not always be the case though. Everyone has different experiences. Sometimes parents can become angrier because of separation. Sometimes this separation can even cause trauma in the kids. This is bad but could add to your personality and how you see things in the future. It also shows who your true friends are and who will help you through things like that. 

Some changes can feel like they mean nothing, like getting new shoes or new shirts. I believe that although these changes may be small, they do impact your life quite a bit. With new shoes, you’re probably going to wear those all the time. I have new tennis shoes, and I wear them to the store, to school, down the street, and on a plane. I wear them everywhere and never even think about it. While getting a new shirt may not seem like a big deal, you’re probably going to wear that shirt quite a lot. You’ll take pictures with that shirt on, or you’ll be in pictures with that shirt on. You’d probably cry, laugh, and make memories with that shirt. At the moment it may not be a big change, but in the long run, it could be very impactful. Sometimes that shirt may become your favorite shirt and mean a lot to you. Let’s say something happened to your new favorite shirt like it got a big hole in it or something. This can be heartbreaking, and for some people it is. This could be bad, but if you patch the hole it adds more personality to your shirt and becomes a funny story to tell. If that isn’t the case then later on you’ll find a new favorite shirt and make a bunch of memories in that too. Once again though, not everyone’s experiences or feelings are the same, so to some, it could be a big deal if their favorite shirt gets a hole in it. 

Other changes may feel huge and like your life is going to end, but they may not impact anything anyways. Something like breaking your arm maybe, it seems horrible and like you’re going to die. Once it heals and gets all better, you probably won’t think about it again and it probably won’t alter your everyday way of living. It’ll still give you that experience and memory, but otherwise, I don’t think it’s a huge change in the long run. However, because some people might react differently to this type of situation, it could be different. Some people become traumatized, this wouldn’t be great, but there are ways for people to get help, and I hope everyone who is in this position heals. Sometimes this can even become life-altering. For example, if a high school football player breaks their throwing arm. This could stop them from playing football and in the end, it could make them lose their scholarships. Again, I hope everyone in that position heals and finds a way to keep going, and maybe find something they can be super passionate about again. 

Another type of change is growing up and that can seem pretty hard. I know lots of people are scared and don’t feel ready to grow up. I know I’m scared and I still have a while before I have to worry about it. Being on your own may seem really scary, but I imagine it’ll turn out okay. Think about all the people who have done that in the past. Think about all the people being on their own right now. They’re all alright. Personally, this is somewhat comforting because if they can do it, so can we. A scary part about growing up is having kids. Some people may worry they aren’t ready, and that’s okay. All the people who have kids can do it, and so can we. I’d like to point out that in most cases you don’t have to have kids if you don’t want to, you can try to wait until you’re ready or never have kids. However, this isn’t always the case for everyone, because sometimes we can’t control the course of life.

I strongly believe that every type of change is okay. I feel that big or small, it’ll be okay and can lead to some great things, or not even matter. I believe we should try our best to embrace and accept changes and allow them to happen because it’s usually out of our control. I think we shouldn’t stress too frequently about it either because that’s usually just a waste of time and effort. Change can also lead you into a lot of other important changes, like making memories with new people, seeing things in different ways from new people, and all the way to making memories in new shoes and shirts.