Evolving Through Life Is A Beautiful Journey
A month or so ago my daughter participated in a dance recital and performed to a song that I was unfamiliar with at the time called “Grow As We Go” performed by Ben Platt. It was touching, both the performance and the lyrical message. If you haven’t heard it, I recommend that you give it a listen… or two. The song highlights the concept of evolving through life together. This is an interesting concept in this day, as many relationships end (not just romantic ones) with the explanation of growing apart, and a justification that the person is different than they were previously.
In this song, the singer pleads with his significant other to stay in their relationship so that they can grow alongside each other. He offers:
“You won’t be the only one.
I am unfinished, I’ve got so much left to learn.”
Then later:
“You don’t ever have to leave,
If to change is what you need,
You can change right next to me.
When you’re high, I’ll take the lows,
You can ebb and I can flow,
And we’ll take it slow,
And grow as we go”
Evolving Through Life In Your Relationships
What would happen if we approached our relationships in this manner, Evolving Through Life and understanding that change is inevitable and that growth is a byproduct of change, even if we initially negatively judge the change in ourselves or others? Imagine if we were not so quick to give up on our relationships, choosing instead to invest in patience and understanding that change is often in the best interest of the individual AND the relationship? What if we challenge the common saying that “The growing only happens on your own”? What do you suppose you may find if you love another through their process of growth?
The expectation of relationships need not be that of perfection or wholeness upon initiation of a relationship. What if we are acceptable, loveable, worthy in all of our incompleteness, lack of societal perfection… our perfectly flawed selves? I imagine the world would be much different if we accepted others, and ourselves in our current states, and chose to grow WITH others, instead of apart. It is my hope that along the pathways of our own lives, we learn to love, accept, and to honor in the most sacred of ways, the journey of another.
It is never too late to start! Hara Estroff Marano provides some great ideas on how to implement lasting change in your life in her article “Lasting Change“.
-Rachelle Hamill, LCSW
