Learning to Accept Change

It can be hard to let go of things that happen in your life and to accept change.

Not too long ago, I had a really hard time dealing with something that happened that affected my life as a sign language interpreter.

I'd been interpreting for 20 years, when I fell and broke my finger.

It was so bad that I had to have surgery and the surgeon messed up. My finger (right pinky) is permanently damaged.

Along with a broken finger, it also broke my heart because it made it very difficult to interpret.

I realized when I went to my first DeafBlind assignment after some time healing.

Now, when you do deaf-blind interpreting, it's tactile. You use touch to communicate.

Because I wasn't able to move my fingers very well due to the surgery debacle, the DeafBlind person wasn't able to understand me. It was awful.

I went to my car and cried and cried. Then I called the agency to let them know I wouldn't be able to do deaf-blind interpreting anymore. It was heartbreaking.

It took some time, but I finally learned to accept where I was and what I could do.

This happened for a reason, and it's in the past.

I can't change it, so I have to only look to my future.

For me, I looked to the future and found different kind of interpreting jobs that I could do.

Is there a change in your own life that you have been struggling with?

Take time today to reflect on how you can accept it as something in the past.

Let it go.

The past can't be changed, but we can shape our future into a life we love.