There are a lot of pearls of wisdom about changes. A change is as good as a rest. Change is inevitable. Change always comes bearing gifts. Sometimes our lives change for the better. Sometimes they change for the worse. And sometimes they merely change in a way that is different. Change can take time. Or, change can occur in the blink of an eye.

For example, in just a few hours, my husband’s thirteen-year-old daughter from a previous relationship will be coming to live with us. She will be staying with us until at least June, and if she enjoys life in the small town of Lumsden, she will remain with us permanently. This decision occurred very quickly; my husband and his ex-girlfriend first discussed it only last Thursday so I have had just a week and a half to prepare.

As if suddenly becoming the mother figure of a teenager wasn’t a big enough change for me to adjust to, she was also born and raised in Quebec and speaks French almost exclusively. The first few weeks of managing with her limited English and my limited French should be incredibly interesting!

I am nervous and excited and while I know there will be some rough patches in the beginning as the five of us learn to interact as a family, I am also sure that we will settle in soon enough and enjoy lots of great moments. There will also undoubtedly be times when Alison will be able to provide some great teenage perspective on items I review!

Wish us all luck!