The 2 Ms of Change

 

 

Warning:  this is a reflection piece and may not be positive in some areas.

 

I have now past my 3 month mark here in Dubai.  In one respect I wonder where the time has gone.  It seems like it has flown; on the flip side there are days and nights that just drag. 

 

The good thing about coming to Dubai is that I seem to be exhausted every night.  I have not had any problems falling asleep at night and sleeping pretty good.  That is a good change.

 

The 2 Ms of Change.  I think I took the title from the book my 6th graders are reading:  Who Moved My Cheese?  I think I needed the book more than they did; however, they have really enjoyed learning about Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw.  And they seem to have picked up on the message of how to deal with change.

 

To answer the question of:  Who moved my cheese?  I moved my cheese and I did it on purpose, but it still did not make it easier to deal with the 2 Ms.

 

I have learned so much about myself.  (You would have thought I would have figured myself out by my age, but change is one way to really challenge yourself and learn things about yourself that are new.)

 

I remember one particular night shortly after arriving in Dubai.  It was not a good night.  I spent the night sobbing myself to sleep.  I could not figure out why I was crying so much.  I kept telling myself that I am a strong, confident, self-sufficient woman and that there was no reason why I should be bawling my head off.  I recognized that the last time I spent myself in such a way was when my mother passed away.  Bingo - it hit me!  When my mother died I had to mourn her passing.  Since I had moved and left everything behind I had to mourn what was familiar and known.

 

The first M of Change is:  mourning.  I learned that I had mourn what I left behind.  It is O.K. to do; it is normal; every loss has to be mourned.  Every time I get overwhelmed with homesickness I tell myself that it is O.K. to be a little sad.  I acknowledge it and then move on to the second M of Change.

 

I was recently reflecting on the changes in my life, and I realized that I could not spend my time mourning and missing my life in Colorado.  I had to give myself permission to move forward and to experience my change with open arms.  I moved my cheese in order to have an experience and to travel.  In order to fully live my new adventure I had to learn to move forward and discover Dubai.  I am learning to venture out more and enjoy what Dubai has to offer.

 

The second M of Change:  Moving Forward.

 

The 2 Ms of Change:  Mourning and Moving Forward.  Isn't ironic that I had to relearn those 2 vital ingredients to life again? 

 

I will admit that the last day or two has not been the easiest here, but I am trying to focus on what I have learned to enjoy about Dubai.  I have a great hair person; I enjoy the people that I work with; I have some great students; I have made some great friends; I love the fact that it is so cheap to fill up my gas tank and that they wash your windows for you; I am loving the beach - really where else can you go spend a day at the beach in November and still have a summer tan; and overall I am loving the experience to grow and learn.

 

Most of all I really appreciate all of the support that I receive from my family and friends.  Thanks so much.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone over the summer.  Hum, I wonder if I will have to deal with the 2 Ms of Change when I return home for the summer?