Transitions – Happy Mother’s Day

By Maureen Crimmins on May 9, 2013 in Working through Transitions

We all have a number of transitions in our life, and some are more difficult than others. The definition of transition is a passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another. The difficulty of understanding this noun is not in the meaning but in the act. What makes some transitions even more difficult is the fact that some transitions may occur while those closest to you are having their own transition.

My household is in the midst of a number of interesting, exciting, scary and difficult transitions…all at the same time. Our oldest daughter is transitioning from her first job out of college into a new and unknown world of working for a start-up company in Boston. Very exciting as new experiences and new apartments are occurring at the same time.

Our middle daughter is graduating from The University of Notre Dame and although she is fortunate to get a coveted position at a consulting firm in New York City, the transition from college student to young professional can be overwhelming. And not to leave out our youngest daughter who is in the midst of the most difficult high school year…junior year with her near future being unknown and confusing.

With all of these changes for my children, I am in a bit of a transition myself. I have spent the past twenty five years mothering and nurturing and, while my daughter’s achievements make me proud and privileged to have them in my life, I am painfully aware that they are venturing out on their own. All at the same time that a great big birthday is approaching and leaving me feeling a little bit lost.

I know that I am not alone in dealing with this transition and have always hoped to approach all of the stages of my life with grace and dignity. The busy stage of raising three girls has certainly gone by quickly; the reality of time flying by seems to have become even more apparent. While the future stages are certainly bound to be filled with joy and excitement…..what with future weddings and hopefully some grandchildren ….I have decided that during this next stage I will take some time to figure out what I would like to fill it with. Good friends, good food and good travel.