Change – wayne centrone

Two things are indelibly etched in my mind as symbolic of the city of Lima. The sepia tone lights of the pueblos jovenes and the polished concrete sidewalks. The soft yellow glow of the sepia lights is quickly being replaced by energy efficient LED. The polished side walks that were the winter equivalent to an urban ice-rink, are also getting a makeover. Although rather insignificant in the bigger global changes occurring all around us, they are changes I find myself mourning.

As an organization we know change. We witness the changes that happen in the children we work with as they grow and mature toward emancipation. We see the bureaucratic shifts that occur within our parter organizations as they move toward new elected leadership. We embrace the dynamic learning we witness as healthcare professionals encounter new knowledge and gain new skills. We watch the ebb and flow of time as it etches a new reality in all our lives.

There is a lot of change happening. All this change brings a sense of uncertainty. Change is not, however, a shift toward doom or gloom. It is not a resignation of hope. It is simply change – like the sun and the moon, the leaves on the trees or the hair on our head.

Knowing that change is inevitably, we embrace change. We invite the opportunities – and the challenges – that come with newness. We look forward to chance to grow with the changes around us.

We are not naive to the fact that change is hard. We know that change will force us to move out of what is comfortable and known, and into a space of new experiences. More than anything, we know that are big part of the way we embrace change is through our grounding in the collaborations, the communities, that we are a part of.

Now, perhaps more than ever, we need bridges. We need collaboration. We need community. As change unfolds, we know that bridges of safety and support will allow us to remain focused on our mission as we transition through the phases and stages of what will unfold.

As a dear friend told me just the other day, “change is the only thing we can be certain will not change.”