To Embrace simply means to: 

1 hold (someone) closely in one’s arms, as a sign of affection. (I totally enjoy either giving or receiving this meaning.)

2 accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically: (Enthusiastically is the key word here.)

3 include or contain (something) as a constituent part. (This meaning is kind of Plain Jane, so to speak, but has it’s place.)

I love the word ‘embrace.’  It kind of gives off a warm and accepting feeling.  It brings images to your mind like cuddling by a fireplace with your honey or having a baby fall asleep in your arms or even greeting a good friend after being separated for a while.  

I have always been more of an ‘embracer’ than my husband. I never understood how it is possible to not really like hugging until our first child (a girl) was born and she is exactly like her dad. I realized they just didn’t have the ‘hugging’ gene in their DNA.  Over the last 38 years my husband has learned it is important to hug me and the more he remembers, the more he enjoys being married!

The title of my blog, Embracing Life’s Seasons, really is meant to embody more of the second meaning of the word embrace; to accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.  

Life is continually handing us change.  Right now some of my family members have been dealt a season of life that they didn’t ever think they would face and would love to be able to run from if they could. My children are living a time in their lives with their young families and developing careers that present constant challenges that could make them want to push away.  My parents are nearing the end of their lives and are constantly facing their own challenges of aches and pains and changes in their once busy, traveling lifestyle that could present a tendency to want to hide and end their lives alone.  

And even me, finding my own identity as a woman with lots of time and opportunity on my hands am continually faced with the challenge of being responsible for my own legacy.  I can now share with my children all of life’s lessons I have come through but I also look forward and see where my parents are and realize I soon will be facing the same challenges they have.  

Who but God really knows what each day will bring my way?  How will I live through the rest of my life?  Will I willingly and enthusiastically accept each day and each moment OR will I run and hide and try to defend my feelings? 

I choose to embrace.  I choose to live.  I choose to accept enthusiastically, and I choose to share each lesson I have learned and each lesson others have taught me as I walk through life with them.  Some are going ahead, some are coming behind and some are walking with me.  My Jesus promised to be by my side, to hold my hand, and to encourage me each step of the way. He is the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He will never leave me!

By the way, embracing is a lot more fun than running!!!  (This is me and my granddaughters on my 60th Birthday!)