A new perspective

I was in total awe as I absorbed the radiant, rainbow-colored stained glass at Gaudi’s Sagrada Família, the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world, located in Barcelona, Spain. Our family visited Barcelona in December of 2022 to spend precious time together over the holidays and to see some sun! Germany is not known for sun in the winter, as we are quickly discovering here in our first six months of living abroad in Germany.

I had never seen any stained glass like this before, as the rainbows filled up the entirety of the space, from reflections on the walls to the organ pipes. But as I looked down on the floor, I noticed how the reflection of these brilliant colors was just as stunning right on the floor.

If I had not turned my head and opened my eyes, I would not have seen the stunning beauty right by my feet.

Two of our children are off to college in the US and one is to set to fly the coop in a few years. It would be easy for me to view this ’empty nest’ change as a loss. A loss of not being as physically present in our children’s lives. A loss of grieving less laughter and family fun. A loss of not knowing ‘what is next’ or ‘what is my purpose’. A loss of the time yet remaining on this earth.

I do not know whether tomorrow or 30 years from now will be my final breath here on earth. However, I am learning that this is a great big world filled with so many wonders, from people to places, all new to me. I need to look down and see the beautiful reflection on the floor right in front of me.

It is time for me to embrace this new second half of life.

Embrace all the amazingness, from the ordinary days to the extraordinary. Embrace getting out of my comfort zone. Embrace the brilliant colors that lie before me. Let’s embrace the colors before us together.