My daughter had a friend sleepover last night. It was the first time the little girl had slept away from home without her mommy. All was well... they painted their nails, watched a movie, ate buttered popcorn, and stayed awake whispering in bed until I reminded them for the third time that they needed to get some rest. But a few hours later she woke in the darkness and came to find me with tears streaming down her face. She wanted her mommy. And there was no changing her mind. So, we packed up her bag, called her mom, and sat waiting for headlights to turn down the driveway.
So precious was her innocent need for the comfort of her mommy's arms. Do those simple needs ever change? When we become adults we are expected to behave differently, but we still have those moments when we feel as though we've awoken in the darkness in a place where nothing is familiar. We long for comfort. But what changes is our ability to recognize the value of pushing beyond that place of inner struggle and finding the strength from within to carry on. Because if we remain in an unchanging world of comfort and familiarity forever, real living escapes us.
I'm not sure when I fully realized that I was on my own. I think it was sometime during my first year in college as I struggled to find out who I really was and where I was headed. But in those late night moments of soul searching, I could still make a phone call. My mom would pick up the phone and reassure me that I was her sweet girl. That I could do anything; the future was mine to create. And that I should just dry my tears for the night, lay my head down, and start fresh tomorrow. I look back and think that she was giving me the strength to find my own comfort in times of uncertainty.
But it doesn't mean that there aren't times that I'm afraid. There's a secret, though, that my daughter and her sweet little friend will learn as they grow: on the other side of the fear and darkness, you often find something amazing. Because when you push yourself just beyond what is comfortable, the magic of change creates a new space of growth. And it's through that growth that the night sky is painted with stars. But you have to push. You have to be willing to reach beyond comfort, and dare to seek what is waiting outside the lines.
