A Week of Transformation


This week I welcomed my sweetheart back home after his year and a half of working and living away.

I’d traveled to Massachusetts to spend a week helping him pack and during that time we’d made a plan to change our house around from top to bottom repurposing most of the rooms.

I would move my studio upstairs. He would move his office downstairs. Our bedroom would shift into what used to be my son’s teenage hangout and we would create a guest room in what used to be our meditation room etc.

It felt right to mark this time of transition by changing the physical space in our home.

When we drove the van into our driveway filled to the brim with his belongings, we started what we decided to call “The Week of Transformation”!

We dedicated 7 days to dismantling, scrubbing, painting, unpacking and rearranging our home into a “new” place for the two of us.

It was challenging to keep up with the pace both emotionally with so much change and physically with so much lifting and moving. Whenever we felt like collapsing into overwhelm we recited with great enthusiasm the words “this is our Week of Transformation!” for a guaranteed injection of fun.

After 7 days with most of the work complete, we declared our week officially finished by creating a simple ceremony.

The two of us met in our front hallway and walked from room to room with a burning stick of Palo Santo (mmmm…I love the aroma) and declared aloud to one another our hopes for each space; a place of creativity, a comfortable haven, a welcoming gathering space etc.

We ended our ceremony with a big hug and smiles of satisfaction.

When you are facing a change, find ways to embrace it and mark it with a ritual.

Light a candle and say a few words. Read a poem aloud that captures the tone of the change. Pick a bouquet of flowers and place it in a new spot in your home. Whisper your hopes to the tree outside your window.

Have a ceremony and inject some love into your life.

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2 Comments

  1. Pete Rogers
    Posted July 14, 2014 at 11:43 am | Permalink

    Jovanna;

    Delighted to see/read/get/love your blog about the Week of Transition. Pete

    • Jovanna
      Posted July 14, 2014 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

      I am so pleased to receive your words of appreciation, Pete! I enjoyed our summer evening conversation about the ceremonies that you have taken part in. Friendship and rituals bring such richness to life!

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