“Change is inevitable —
except from a
vending machine.” 
Robert C. Gallagher

The Oxford Dictionary defines impermanence as “the state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time.”

In an online article published in November 2020, Hal Atwood wrote, “Impermanence is an inescapable, essential fact of life.” 

Seneca, a philosopher of ancient Rome, pointed out, “All things human are short-lived and perishable.”

Everything in life is subject to change with the passage of time. This is a reality with which we all must come to terms. Change can be difficult. Challenging as it may be, however, it is beneficial for us to acknowledge and embrace the impermanence of life around us. One’s refusal to accept this reality can be a significant cause of suffering in one’s life.

As I reflect back on the past seventy years, I am able to identify countless examples of the impermanence of life. My childhood ended. My adolescent years ended. My four years of high school ended. So, too, did my college years, a number of relationships, a few part-time jobs, and a memorable year teaching abroad. The years Kathy and I devoted to raising our three boys ended. They are all competent, independent young men now. Vacations ended. Car payments ended. My lower-back pain ended. And my 43-year career in education ended. For some, the end of a career might also bring about the end of one’s self-identity. They may find themselves asking Who am I now that I’m not what I did for a living?

As is true with so many other aspects of our lives, impermanence can bring about a crisis in one’s life. All the more reason to remember that a crisis has two components: danger and opportunity. It is imperative that we consciously look for the opportunities any life change offers us. Rather than viewing change as a threat, as something to be feared, it’s best if we can recognize that the transition opens new doors of possibilities for us.

It is so easy for us to become attached to the people, roles, and status with which we identify. We want to hold on to the people in our lives. We want to maintain the roles we fill and the status we’ve achieved. Impermanence serves as an antidote to attachment. 

Thích Nhất Hạnh, the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, stated, “It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.”

And, clearly, they are not.

Embracing inevitable changes in our life is in our best interest, for by recognizing and accepting the impermanence of all things, we are better equipped to minimize the pain and suffering we may endure in times of loss.