The Changes We Seek

Change.

It's a word, a six letter word that invokes many different emotions. Fear, uncertainty, anxiety, happiness, excitement... Change can be fun and frightening. For some, change is unbearable and sends them running for the hills. For others, change is a thing they welcome with arms wide open. For me, it depends on what is changing and why.

When my family Christmas tradition changed in 2007 with my grandmother impending death, I was not happy. My mother didn't make her manicotti, there was no ham or cheese bread from my aunt, no tarts from my cousin. Instead of our usual potluck, we had dinner at The Mandarin in Oshawa. Now, don't get me wrong, The Mandarin is probably my favourite restaurant, but the thought of celebrating Christmas in a restaurant felt completely blasphemous. Especially when there was no Christmas Tree to put our gifts under and my role as the Elf couldn't be fulfilled. I like handing out the presents; it's something I've done for 20 years. And this changed Christmas tradition had been going on since the 50s. Now, it's a mix of old and new; we open our gifts under a tree, but have lunch at a restaurant, though we still miss making our respective dishes.

Despite my unwillingness to change that tradition, change is, and always will be, inevitable.

Though my Christmas tradition change was painful, the one I am about to embark on is more welcoming and exciting than scary. After two months of waiting, I am transferring from the store I’ve been working at for two years to another store within the company I work for. In a previous post, I mentioned that I worked for Addition Elle. As of the 6^th, I will be working for our sister store, Smart Set. I received an opportunity to move up in the company, and I’d be insane not to take it. Addition Elle and Smart Set are both owned by Reitman’s, which also owns Pennington’s, RW & Co., Thyme Maternity and, of course, Reitman’s. I have been with the company for two years, and felt a change was necessary, so I decided to search for one. Upon being offered a position on the management team at Smart Set, I knew I had to jump at the chance. Plus, they are willing to train me for the position I’m transferring for. Knowing I am going to have help transitioning into my new position is making this change a lot easier and a lot more exciting. Plus, I have never walked out of one job and directly into another. I’ve always had several months of unemployment between jobs, which is mostly my fault. The fact that my last shift at Addition Elle was on Wednesday and my first shift at ­Smart Set will be on Sunday, is awesome.

This change is something I am looking forward to, and have been for two months. I couldn’t be happier.

Are there any exciting changes going on in your lives?