It seems like things happen like this: suddenly, all at once - but, that isn't the reality. 

If you think about it, there were signs. You may not have seen something happening. It was incremental and so small, that the movement was invisible.

You worked on it every day and then, your pants just happen to fit better. 
Or, you were squinting, straining your eyes and then, you needed glasses.

All summer long, you watered the plants and kept them in the sunlight - hoping to see those sprouts turn into fruit. Before you knew it, tomatoes just appeared in the very variety that you planted.

It can go either way - good or bad - but it happens. Slowly over time.

It can even be time itself passing. 

Whether it was when you planned on taking a quick nap on the couch - just a few minutes - and that nap turned into hours. Or, the years between a toddler learning to walk and then going off to college. Maybe it is the chair that is starting to lean a little, or, a parent becoming grey and unsteady. The days go by.

Then, you notice it and suddenly, all at once life is different and you may or may not have been watching. So, be sure to pay attention. It will happen whether you want it to or not.

~ Dawn aka Hat Girl