I’ve never been a fan of change. Change is usually hard. And leads to things unfamiliar. I much prefer the comfort of the safe and known. Unfortunately, change is all but a requirement of life.
When 2013 began, I cracked open a fresh notebook to start my journal, that I swore to maintain daily this year (this is a common theme; I have these well-meant notebooks stashed all over the house. I remember one actually goes beyond January but none make it through the year. Good intentions are no match for easily distracted), and the first thing I wrote was “This is going to be a big year of change for me.”
Whether this was something that I felt subconsciously and voiced or something that I set into motion by setting pen to paper, I don’t know… but I do know that this is the truth. This year has been a year of change for me, indeed. Small and large—primarily internal—but overall? Undeniable change.
Of course, stepping down from my role as editor here was a huge part of that. My intention was to continue blogging, but I see now that it’s time for that change as well. I’ll still be an Oklahoma mom, “Keeping it Real” with my kids as best I can, and I’ll continue to share my adventures on my personal blog (www.marifarthing.com) and contributing to the magazine and website as often as I’m able. But I feel like stepping away now is the right thing to do.
This blog has been a place to share not only adventures in parenting, but a place where I was allowed to connect with readers on another level, where I shared my struggles with real-life issues, including the death of a parent, health problems, deployments and more. The support from readers was tremendously impactful and something I will always appreciate.
I’m learning to embrace change. We can’t grow without change, after all. And that just won’t do.
(Am I the only one singing that song from the Brady Bunch, the one where Peter’s voice cracks?)
Best,
Mari
