Everything Must Change

      As I trudge through the brisk morning air on my way to class, I am struck by the beauty of the fallen leaves that blanket the ground. The trees all around me glow brilliant hues of red and orange, setting the campus and surrounding hills on fire.  Even though the leaves may be dead or dying, they are kept alive by their vibrant color and sense of magic that they bring to the season.
     Autumn is truly a season of change, and change seems even more applicable to me this year. Just a few weeks ago, I found myself on the phone with my mom feeling extreme anxiety about the whole subject of change. I realized that I am no longer a child, and that everything is going to be much different from now on, and those thoughts scared me. I remembered having the exact same conversation with my brother before he left on his mission. He said "Megan... don't you realize that my life is never going to be the same again?... I have to grow up and be a man now... I'm no longer a child, and that scares me." At the time I didn't understand, and offered simple words of comfort, but now I can completely emphasize with those thoughts and those feelings. However my comfort comes just in the conversation itself and the time that has passed since. It has been almost three years since that day, and yes his life is different than before, but he loves it, and has embraced change.
     Everything has to change. Even the trees that surround us change. They cannot stay green forever, they cannot stay red forever, and they cannot stay barren forever. A tree's life is one of continuous change, just as our is. Even though the thought of growing up and changing is frightening, it can be full of brilliance and beauty, just like the autumn leaves.
     I choose to embrace the change that surrounds me and that I am experiencing. Although the leaves die, and the cold comes, leaving the trees bare, there is always hope for the beautiful spring that will follow.
     Change carries in itself the same concept; hope. Through the changes in our life, whether large or small, we can always hope for a better future and enjoy the moments that we have.