Over the past four years, I’ve gotten pretty good at packing. I can pack a 3-4 day bag in 5 minutes, sleep just about anywhere, and navigate I-69 like a pro. When I went to college, I don’t think I quite understood the kind of transitioning I would be doing. Moving in and out of dorms, being home for summers and breaks, and COVID-19 made transitions a regular thing. It wasn’t easy though. It took me 2 years to really feel like I had a solid community at college and then COVID-19 happened. Now, I have graduated and am ready to move to South Carolina, another transition. I will have to develop a new community, 11 hours from home. I’m exhausted with moving, but it’s good to embrace where you’re at, even in times of transition.

Have you ever been in the middle of your own crisis when someone tried to lean on you for support or looked to you for their own guidance and emotional balance? If you’ve experienced this, then you know what the usual response is: a wide eyed, blank stare that essentially says: What?!? I can’t help you right now! I’m barely capable of helping myself! This is a far more common situation than you might imagine. For many, hardship and trials lead them to lean on anyone who happens to be close enough to grab, even if that person is up to their neck in their own problems. When this happens within families, it can lead to really explosive interactions!