I’m very excited to again this week join a talented group of women who connect each Friday in an online, unedited flash mob free write based on a one-word prompt from our fearless leader Kate Motaung. My timer is set for 5 minutes; let’s see where the word “embrace” takes me.

I’ve never been one to embrace change. In order to deal with the constant change inherent in normal, day-to-day life, I was for much of my life a bit of a control freak. A type-A personality, if you will. 

I’d love to say I finally came to my senses on my own, saw the light, and willingly relinquished the control I thought I had, but we type-A’s rarely do that. Instead, buffeted by loss and unavoidable change, I finally relinquished control.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t instanteous. And I wasn’t at all gracious about it.

I’m trying to not only be okay with not being in control and with change — and to even embrace it — but for me, that’s a process that has a steep learning curve.  So I’m taking baby steps.

Teeny, tiny baby steps. 

I’m taking one of those right now. It’s so tiny that I’m almost embarrassed to share it. Heck, if my timer would only cooperate, the 5 minutes would expire without me having to do that.  (Drat. I still have almost 2 minutes!)

I’m typing this blog entry on my iPad. And it’s a mini! 

I, who love my laptop and it’s nice big familiar keyboard, am challenging myself in an area in which  I’m a notoriously-slow learner (just ask my kids). 

I’m tired of toting around my laptop. Even though it’s one of the lightest models available, it weighs me down. 

I’m tired of stuff — possessions, my own insecurities and fears, other people’s games . . . 

I want to throw off the weight, the unnecessary.

I want to be less encumbered by stuff, tangible and intangible.

Free to embrace . . .