LIONS AND LAMBS AND CHANGE … OH MY!
by Jo Haberstok
We’ve probably all heard the saying "March comes in like a Lion and goes out like a Lamb,” right? There are conflicting theories about the origin, but it most likely began as a reference to the position of the constellations Leo (a lion) and Aries (a ram, or lamb) in the night sky. Then at some point it evolved into a fairly good summation of March's changing weather as the seasons change from winter to spring.
March is an interesting month, often beginning with (a lion’s roar of) very cold weather and (a lion’s long, white teeth) winds so biting that we still need our down‑filled parkas. By the end of the month, as temperatures rise and we see more of the sun every day, the weather feels softer, kinder, and more temperate, like the warmth of a lamb’s fluffy white fleece.
This proverb has stood the test of time. It can be traced back to Thomas Fuller’s 1732 compendium, “Gnomologia; Adagies and Proverbs; Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British.” Along with other writings at the time, it contained a lot of weather folklore, intended to help people prepare for typical weather conditions that lay ahead, and often in relation to the planting and harvesting of crops. And a lot of the information was pretty accurate, due to expected winds and weather patterns.
As we begin the month of March, are you feeling more like a lion or a lamb? Are you dealing with changes not only in the weather but also in your professional and personal life in a positive way? We often tend to think of “change” as being something negative, but there are also a lot of positive changes. I have a friend from high school who is now retired and getting ready for a move to Portugal. While all the activities associated with making such a big change can be stressful, she is very excited about moving to a new place.
How do we adapt to changes? Sometimes like a lion: brave, protective, willing to fight when needed, group (pride) members, but also sometimes loners in the bigger scheme of things. Sometimes like a lamb: hardworking, soft-hearted, feeling safer in the flock. Of course, there are many other characteristics of lions and sheep, and even some overlapping ones.
What’s the best way to cope with change? Try to stay positive and be proactive. Refuse to be a “victim” of change; instead, acknowledge and then manage your feelings, get support if needed, create a strategy, and do whatever you can to be an active, contributing part of the change.
Other strategies: 1) Acknowledge the change; 2) Plan ahead (if possible); 3) Reframe your thinking (an opportunity for growth); 4) Maintain some normalcy (some familiar activities/routines); 5) Build a support system (friends/family to help navigate through change).
