Flexibility In the Community
vs. resistance
Adjusting to change with a good attitude
To practice Flexibility, I will: 
- be helpful when plans change
- accept the things I cannot change
- be open to new and different experiences
- learn from my mistakes
- anticipate and prepare for change
Flexibility: Growing Through the Unexpected
By Mary Andres Russell
A friend once told me that having a child with Down syndrome is like planning a trip to Paris and ending up in Brussels — not what you expected, but still a beautiful journey. The comparison may simplify the experience, yet it captures the heart of flexibility: life rarely goes according to plan.
We all face moments like this. My husband’s unexpected complications from shoulder surgery and our early step into grandparenthood were surprises we never saw coming — one painful, one joyful. Both required us to adapt, and both ultimately strengthened our marriage.
Think back over the last 10–20 years. What surprises shaped your path? What challenges or blessings forced you to adjust?
Flexibility is what helps us meet these moments with resilience instead of resistance. It keeps us open, steady, and willing to shift when life changes direction. And that openness is what allows us to thrive.
This month, notice the moments that ask you to bend. Take a breath, soften your stance, and see what unfolds. Flexibility won’t stop life’s surprises, but it will help you move through them with strength and grace.
The Links below will take you to Resources you can use with the family or within community organizations
to teach the Character Quality of Flexibility.
The following activities are related to dates this month and can relate to any character quality or good character in general.
December Character All Month
See NationalToday, AndTodayIs, NationalDayCalendar or DaysOfTheYear for more information on these and other holidays to celebrate this month. Holidays with Always-On Dates 1 Rosa Parks Day "One person can change the world." -Rosa Parks. What can you change in your...
Make a Gift Day – Dec. 3
Always December 3Whatever holiday or birthday traditions you follow, take some time today to think about a homemade gift for someone. Who would appreciate it? The act of making a gift is so much more personal than having Amazon thunk something on your porch. You don’t...
World Candle Lighting Day
Always 2nd Sunday in DecemberThe second Sunday in December is Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, that is a memorial activity to honor those children who are no longer with us. Candles are lit at 7 pm local time and left to burn for an hour. This will create a 24-hour wave...
Our other Pillars have resources that can be used in a community or family setting.
Visit Flexibility in School:
Activities
No Matter How You Say It
Curriculum Connections
Croskey’s Corner
Visit Flexibility in Business:
Teambuilding
Power Up with Character
Interview Questions
Adult Business Books
Visit Flexibility in Faith:
Christian Family Activity
Bible Verses
Christian Poster
Prayer and Reflections
Archived Resources