This Too Shall Pass
By: Emma Widmer
I have always been a planner and a forward thinker. I didn’t just have a four or five-year plan; I had a 10-year plan. I knew exactly where I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing.
Then I spent my first-year post-grad as a nomad.
Not in the way you might think. I wasn’t traveling the world and bouncing between cities. Rather I was moving to different homes in the same town for one reason or another about every three months from May 2024-June 2025. It was exciting to “test-drive” a new life every few months. It was also exhausting. There was a time I had one week notice to pack everything and move. Now I spend my evenings in my own little studio apartment with my cat and a bottomless cup of tea, and I am so grateful to be stationary for the present moment. However, I realized although I planned much of my life to a tee, it wasn’t just this last year that I lived like this. That is what my (and maybe your) four years of college looked like. As students, every three months, our lives change. New classes every semester and in turn, study partners and friendships change as schedules shift, and there is the rhythm of going back and forth between college and home at semester breaks. I lived somewhere new every year, first in Olds, then a sorority house, and even two different off campus houses. I didn’t even spend my summers in the same place!
Like clockwork, at exactly three months since my last move, I started to get the itch: for something different, exciting, and fresh. I wanted to travel or start something new. I have found that transition seasons do this to me. Those two weeks that bridge summer into fall where there is a slight crisp in the air but the days are sunny and warm stir something inside my soul. Or in the spring when the snow has just started to melt and the first green shoots start to show. These seasons don’t last forever. In fact, if you don’t pay attention, we are in the thick of winter before you had the opportunity to wear the perfect “transitional fall outfit” on your Pinterest board.
The old proverb “this too shall pass” is said to provide comfort during hardships and humility in times of prosperity. But some seasons seem more temporary than others and you know they will be short-lived while you are in the middle of them. Your classes will change at the end of the semester. You will graduate and move on to something new: to a new city, job, or graduate program.
This too shall pass.
Knowing something will come to an end can at times lead to the attitude of not investing too much out of fear of wasting time, money or energy. In a difficult time, you may sit there wishing it away, praying for it to be over quickly, or when you love where you are you may grasp to it tightly, not wanting it to pass. I’ve been there for all of it. My junior year room was rough to say the least. It wasn’t exactly the cute and cozy off campus room I had imagined, and I ended up not decorating it at all because “I am just here for a few months” and “how much time do I spend in my room anyway?” I am here to tell you; it does matter because I’ve also done this well, and it can be so fruitful! In a 6-week internship in a new city, I had so many wonderful experiences and friends that I would have never had the opportunity to experience if I didn’t invest and instead, locked myself away because "It’s just 6 weeks.”
The physical seasons demonstrate that they each have a purpose and their own beauty that deserves its full time. I struggle with this sometimes. The first frost hits and BOOM, I am ready for Christmas. In the depths of February, I can’t wait for June because magically all my problems will go away when the sun comes out, right? (Wrong.) Even more so, I still find myself dreaming of the future and what the next two months, two years, even two decades will look like. My life right now is not what the rest of my life looks like. I won’t be in a 200sqft apartment forever. Lord willing, one day this basket of laundry won’t be filled with only my clothes. But what a blessing that I can spontaneously go out for dinner and drinks with my best friend on a Tuesday, or that I can clean my apartment top to bottom in about 20 minutes!
Allowing yourself to be fully content and getting everything you possibly can out of a temporary season of life can be so valuable. I have found the best way has been to allow for margin and develop the skill of careful observation. Finding ways to allow yourself to be present in a moment to fully observe the details around you can help you to not feel like life is passing you by or happening to you. What I have found to be the most helpful has been to practice being aware of my five senses. Overstimulation is a real thing, so finding ways to reduce external stimuli and focus on my environment has been so helpful. When I was in college amidst a difficult season, my grandfather wisely inquired about how often I was spending time in silence and challenged me to do so more often. I challenge you to do the same and take that time to observe. When doing simple tasks like going on walks, washing dishes, folding laundry, and eating meals, turn off the music/podcast/audiobook, intentionally engage your senses, and take note of what is already there. What do the leaves sound like? What about the wind? Do you hear any birds? What does your room smell like? Did that house you pass every day plant new flowers? How are the leaves changing?
Then, capitalize on those senses to make the everyday moments and times of margin more special. This is deeper than romanticizing your life. The Lord has you in this particular season, so find ways to treasure it and practice gratitude in the little moments he has provided you with. Put on an extra cozy sweater to watch a movie with your friends. Use a linen spray when you are folding your towels. Notice the buildings and people you pass on your morning walk up the hill. Learn or refine a skill to take away from a less than glamorous summer job. Go on an evening walk to enjoy a fresh snow.
Some jobs, homes, relationships, classes, even friendships are for a season. Although this too shall pass, their value is not lessened. Every season has its gifts and challenges, but it is worth it to invest, enjoy, and learn from that time, no matter how brief. Afterall, finding a way to rejoice and serve the Lord in those little moments is what makes our lives and the Kingdom that much richer.
Emma Widmer ‘24
Emma graduated from Hillsdale in 2024 after studying Art and Biology. You can usually find her working in the Student Activities Office, wandering the world foods aisle, or attempting to make friends with the closest animal. She has a deep passion for nature, strong coffee, kind people, and joyfully gathering over good food and drinks. When not working, you can find her painting, knitting, planning her next travel adventure, or perfecting her baking skills.
