Shed your old skin for what's new

Are you afraid to change your ways of thinking and adopt new ideas? Perhaps you're afraid others will not accept you or you can't adjust to change.

Lisa was a middle-aged woman, but she refused to settle into what many would call, the middle-aged stereotype. She was youthful in her ideas and the way she dressed, choosing chic clothes and accessories. She ignored the eyebrows she raised, at times, as she dressed to her own specifications.

Many refrain from being and acting as they would like, because they fear being ridiculed or shunned by less savvy peers. Lisa went on with her life, being the person she believed she was, including how she dressed and acted.

My husband enjoys old Western movies. I used to chide him, saying, "Watching them just shows you're stuck in the past. You need to learn who the new actors and actresses are." But, nevertheless, he kept watching. I'm embarrassed to say that, now, I'm hooked too. The long dresses the ladies wore were a sight to behold. I stand in awe of the lovely, colorful hats they wore -- ornate and beautiful. The women usually displayed excessively ladylike manners and graceful gestures. My, but that era seems so comforting. The plushness of the rich was no match for the gentle splendor of the common man. I can watch without feeling I must keep my new shoes on. People were neighborly then, they say.

My son, Barry, loves watching old movies, and he has planted that love within his two young daughters. Barry enjoys the story line, but he uses them as an escape from his busy life as a teacher, husband and father. Barry keeps up with what's new though and refuses to linger in the past too long.

Linda was contemplating a change of residence but couldn't bear to part with her current one. She had lived at 605 Sandy Lane during the whole of her life. She had raised her family there. They still liked to visit at her "old homestead," as Linda fondly called it. It wouldn't be the same, she envisioned.

The Christmas tree had always sat in the corner in the living room, under which all kinds of gifts and goodies reclined. A star shone from the top, resembling the Star of Bethlehem. Memories of Christmas carols being sung as yuletide filled the air. Linda could hear the voices of her children and grandchildren being hushed, so Santa could make his way into the creaky old house.

Linda grieved for that which was past. She felt drained and scared -- fearful that she may not be able to meet the challenge of starting a new life somewhere else. She reached for something with which to wipe away her tears. Then she let go!

Then, "I can do this," Linda said, as she felt a surge of new energy and courage, pulsing through her veins. And she did. Linda found a new residence in a new town, and met the challenge of giving up what no longer served her purpose. In exchange, she found another home that met her needs. Her children would adopt, she mused, and she would find another corner for her Christmas tree.

Linda would remember her past years with her family at the old place, but she realized she must keep walking on a forever renewal of her life. Each day was a new one and she must reside in it -- in the new day that God made.

Joan Chittister, in her book "Illuminated Life, Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light," says, "When we walk with God, what is there to fear: Serenity comes to those who walk with God. Surety comes to those who see God in everything. Peace comes to those who know that what is, is of God, if we will only make it so."