What do the following have in common? 1) Cora and Brian having a new baby girl 2) parents moving from the family home to live in a small apartment near one of their adult children in another town 3) a friend’s husband has just retired and is now home all the time trying to figure out what to do with his day 4) a friend has decided to go “home” to Ireland after living here in Boston for 50 years. As you may have guessed, these four situations are all major transitions in life – only a few of the multitude of transitions we all experience as we journey through life.

Transitions are sometimes joyfully anticipated as in the birth of baby or moving to a new place where we have long wanted to live or finding a new, exciting job, but many other transitions involve loss and pain and grief. No matter what kind of transition it is, the common denominator is change – and since human beings are “creatures of habit”, the fact is that change is always challenging, if not extremely difficult. Particularly for those of us who have lived a long time and acquired many life experiences, many of the transitions that we now face involve down-sizing, new living arrangements, decreasing numbers of friends, acquiring new life skills involving patience, resilience and acceptance that our bodies are not what they used to be and that we often can no longer do what we used to do.

It is beneficial to look at these times of transitions as opportunities. Simply knowing and understanding that with each new transition we will have to learn new ways of being in the world. Anticipating the changes and thinking through with family and/or close friends, ways of preparing for the challenges that come with the upcoming transition can be extremely helpful. What can I do to make the transition less traumatic? How do I create a sense of community? To whom do I reach out for support and encouragement? Are there community organizations or groups that can help me in adjusting to this current transition? These are questions that will make for a smoother, healthier, more satisfactory transition.

If any of you are facing transitions in the near future and would like to discuss them here at the Pastoral Centre, please feel free to call Anne on 617 479 7404 X.13.

As we begin the last quarter of 2007, we invite you to join us for tea/coffee, baked goodies and good company on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 at 953 Hancock Street in Quincy. There is no Coffee Morning on the 24^th as Fr. John will be celebrating a “Mass of Healing” at 12 noon on Thursday, the 25^th at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, followed by a brief presentation on the Prescription Advantage Program. At 1pm, Kilcommons Caterers will be serving a hot luncheon and Ron Cote will provide us with lively Irish musical medleys. Finally as Halloween falls on a Wednesday, we invite you to come dressed up in costume and enjoy the fun!

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