Change… can be hard.

    Moving to a new place… Meeting new people? It’s overwhelming. I’m so nervous right now…

    Wait, let me start over. Ahem.

    My name is Emma Scott. I was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the year 2010. I lived there for the first 14 years of my life with my family. We lived in an apartment, a small apartment, you may say, but we were cozy enough. In fact, we were happy there. We had everything we needed. My dad had a good job. My siblings and I went to a good school. We had a good life.

    At least… until my dad lost his job. After that happened, everything started falling apart. My parents argued more than usual. Everyone seemed mad all the time. We were no longer that cozy, happy family who had all they needed. 

    My dad went job-hunting almost all of the time. For some reason, he couldn’t find any job that suited him. It was a very stressful time for us. I was worried. I worried that Dad might not find a job. I worried that my parents won’t be able to pay the bills. I worried… even though it wasn’t my place to be worried. It was my parents’. 

    Mom tried to help me overcome my worryness. She quoted this verse from Ecceliastes, ‘Look at what God has made. You cannot change a thing, even if you think it is wrong. When life is good, enjoy it. But when life is hard, remember that God gives us good times and hard times.’

    Even at school, I was worried. I couldn’t even focus on the teacher. I would always stare ahead in a daydream… or day nightmare. I don’t know how many times my friend poked my side to wake me up. 

I don’t know how many times I went to detention for not paying attention. And I don’t know how many times Mom reprimanded me for it.

    After one particularly bad day at school, I flopped on the sofa, exhausted. Mom glanced in my direction.

    ‘’I know, I know… I have to do my chores,’’ I said before Mom can scold me. Chores first and then homework was a major rule in our family.

    ‘’Before you get started on that, your dad and I want to talk to you and your siblings,’’ Mom said.

 I looked into her face. She looked sad… with a mix of happiness in it too. Was the talk going to be good… or bad? What were they going to tell me?

    I sat on the sofa, waiting for my two siblings, Charlotte and Henry, to arrive. They were both younger than me, and I doubt that they will sit still on the sofa for long.

    Once Charlotte and Henry arrived, Dad cleared his throat to speak. ‘’As you know,’’ Dad started, ‘’I lost my job, and I was looking for a new one…’’ his eyes twinkled. My eyes widened. Is this it? Did he…

    ‘’I found a new job,’’ he said. He had a huge grin on his face.

    I threw my arms around him. ‘’Oh, Dad!’’

    Dad held one finger up. ‘’There’s more. We will be moving to Aspen, Wyoming! That’s where my new job is at!’’

    My jaw dropped. ‘’We’re moving?’’

The next few days were a whirlwind of busyness. We all had to pack our things. We had to pack EVERYTHING. I was disappointed. I thought Dad would find a job and things would go back to normal. Now I have to say goodbye to friends and family… and my life.

    Dad says we’ll be happier. He says it’s God’s plan for us to move. I personally don’t think so. He also tells me time to time again, “Tradition was safety; change was danger.’’

Then I will reply, ‘’Why go with the change if it’s dangerous?’’

    He’d smile and say, ‘’We’re doing something… something amazing, Emma. We’re going to the COUNTRY! We need to get out of our comfort zone. You’ll have a great time, Emma. Think about it: we are the only people in our family who has left Illinois. I promise you, Emma. We are going to have the time of our lives.’’