November is never an easy month for me with the time change and the temperature dropping. I fight against the inevitable because I so badly want to hold on to the beauty, light and warmth of fall. Eventually, I remember the opportunities of the new season approaching (hot toddies, beef stew, latkas, base layers…) and embrace the uncomfortable transition for what it is.
Transitions show up everywhere in our lives. And whether we are looking for a new job, getting married, awaiting the birth of a child or moving from one city to another - it all requires us to say goodbye to an old and familiar way of being. In order to attain anything new we must be willing to take a risk and to not know exactly when it will pay off. These are the awkward in-between moments and the uncomfortable middle ground between the old and the new.
In the face of such painful shifts we sometimes push back. We would rather stay in the place where we are, no matter how much we may dislike it, than face the transition to a new reality. The saying “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t” can be applied to all areas of our lives and is the reason we stay in the jobs we hate, maintain unfulfilling relationships and hold on to destructive societal structures.
When COVID started, we initially thought we were in a holding pattern. If we just hunkered down and paused our regular life - eventually we would go back to normal. Now eight months in we see that we are not going back, but are in fact on our way to something new. Though we still may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, one thing is for sure - we are in one heck of a collective transition.
The very act of cooking is a transition. We start a new recipe with various ingredients with the intention of creating something entirely new. Halfway through we may question our efforts and wonder if we are doing it right. If we had stopped there, with the half-baked cake, the uncooked risotto and the raw turkey - we would not understand how delicious it would have been if we just kept on going.
We are in an uncomfortable period of transition in our own lives, our society and in our government. It is the messy in-between that lets us know we are not finished yet - there is still much baking to be done.
Our next Virtual Gathering's theme is: Transition
When: Thursday, December 3rd, 7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT
How: Sign up here
What: Please join our call with a favorite food or beverage that connects to the theme (and if you don't have time to cook just come with a story!)
Cost: $15 to secure your spot (Venmo @Ellen-Cosgrove)
Zoom details will be sent on day of the event to those who are signed up.