What It Means to Be Gaby: Accepting The Inevitable Change

Today my brother watched his classmates graduate. He watched as they gave their speeches and discussed how they were now moving onto the next phase in their lives, high school.

Like me, my brother is scared of the inevitable change. Although he did not admit it, I could tell he was sad to see his friends for the last time. For weeks he had been dreading this day and he has chosen not to say his final goodbye at a party the class will be having. The very concept of saying goodbye he can understand, but I am not sure he is willing to accept it.

I hope to show him that saying goodbye to people is a part of life, and although it can break our hearts at times our hearts have the ability to recover.

Aside from seeing his friends one last time I think it hit him that next year he will be going through the same thing. He will be the one graduating, and I must admit that the very thought made me feel sad as well. The fact is that he is growing up, and neither he nor I want that to happen. All we want is to stay in this moment for a little longer. Time seems to just flash before our eyes and when you acknowledge where you stand in this moment you may wonder exactly how long was it that you stood in another moment.

When I graduated high school I could not believe that I was considered to be an adult and that I was going to college. It had seemed like the day before I was just a freshman without a clue in the world. Today when I watched my brother receive an award at the ceremony and lead us in the pledge of allegiance I remembered when he had just been diagnosed with Autism at the age of three and they said he would never be able to speak. Taking the time to think about how far he had come warmed my heart, but at the same time I did not want to think about the future. Because unlike my other brother, I can still call him my "little" brother.

Still, I know I must come to terms with the fact that he is growing up. It is hard to accept but I have no other choice but to accept it.  Because change is inevitable. Me of all people should know that very well. And even though I have come to accept that my friends will come and go and that I myself am an adult, the fact that my brother is growing up is perhaps one of the hardest things to accept. But I know it is for the best. I know that as he grows older he will also grow as a person. And I know that in the future he will touch so many hearts and make great changes in the world around him.

So to my brother, do not be scared of the inevitable changes in our lives. Yes, it is sad. And yes, it may not seem fair. But if we accept the changes that happen in our lives and learn to be happy for the memories we gain along the way, then change will only make us into better, stronger, and wiser people.