“The Definition of Transition”

            If transition could be broken down into stages, I think it would go in this order:

            Denial.  You’re stuck in a new place and you have no clue of where you are.  Everything is new, from the scenery around you to the shoes you’re wearing.  You can’t believe what you’re seeing and you don’t want to believe it.  Yet, you’re stuck with the images.

            Aggression.  You want to fight what you see, deciding or rather, concluding, that everything is out of place and you must find some way to restore everything to the way it was.  You have an inert sense of anger and you want to spread that anger, for that is the only thing clouding your mind.

            Guilt.  Are the changes your fault?  At least that’s what you think but you know subconsciously that they’re not.  It seems to me that this is the time that lingers the longest, only because of the departure of aggression.  When that is done, what is there to ponder over?  You are only caught in what bothers you.

            Torment.  The highest stage of guilt is when you cannot take anymore of these thoughts and finally your sanity snaps like a worn rubber band.  Your only desire is to run to the edge of the earth and scream until your lungs give out.

            Acceptance.  The final and most relieving stage of all, only because the torment of change has either subsided or totally faded away.  This stage is the hardest to attain and for many, it could take months, even years to reach.

            It’s hard to grasp onto something that is constantly flowing against you.  Kinda like fighting against the wind but not quite as dramatic, but you often wonder when the wind will die down or when you’ll find the strength to whip against it.  Often times I wonder if transition was broken down into several stages and if I am only undergoing some of the primary ones.