the world keeps spinning

By Wendy Grunthal

We had a hot day here in Colorado. Yet there are signs of Fall. There are some dry, yellow leaves on the curb. The evenings are coming quicker and the the mornings are cooler. Summer is ending, winter is coming. The changing of seasons can remind us of the impermanence of life. Situations, people, feelings don’t stay the same. Change is a part of life. My husband and I have a two year old boy. He is active and happy and bright. I hope to cherish these days while he is discovering so much and learning to do things on his own. He requires a lot of attention and I try to give him as much as possible because I realize that this is what he needs right now and he won’t need or want it forever.

My husband and I have been contemplating another child. It feels like a very difficult choice to make. I have started to realize that whatever we decide will be good. I have faith in both of us that we will make the right choice for our family. Of course, people have strong feelings about having more than one child, but, in the end, it is entirely up to us to decide. And, anything can happen from there.

In going back and forth in what feels like a huge decision, a 65 year old friend of mine offered some perspective. She said that I am fully absorbed in ‘kid-world’ right now, so the decision feels huge, but when you’re 65 your child/children will not consume your world the way they do now. Life changes, perspective changes. What feels like a pressing, dire issue in the moment will run its course. Considering that the world is spinning and the seasons change and everyone grows, develops and matures, maybe we don’t need to get caught up in what feels like a pressing issue, a gigantic decision, a stressful moment. Maybe, we can feel it, acknowledge it and let it go…. because we’ll have to let it go eventually. After all, the world keeps spinning.