Ending or Beginning?

We're coming up on the end of the year, which marks the beginning of a new year. The end and the beginning. Many times we're confused by their position in our lives. The end marks the beginning. I recently came across a quote by T.S. Eliot which says, What we call the beginning is often the end and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.

Often the end of something brings us to a place of despair where we think that nothing will ever be right or happen again. Yes, the end can be traumatic, as when I lost my father and then two days later my husband died. I did think it was over ... but I knew somewhere inside me that it also signalled a new beginning. At the time, I couldn't imagine what that might look like, nevertheless, I knew I had to go on and make a new life. Don't get me wrong. We don't just hop up and take off on a new adventure after having severe loss hit our lives. It has taken time to make the transition from grieving through healing into living again.

Each journey is unique, but we also have points in common. It's the common denominators that link us to one another. I may not have experienced your exact loss, but I know the pain of loss. I may not be moving in the direction your life is taking you, but I know the joy of new beginnings. It's at the point of connection where I believe we can learn from one another, cheer one another and share our moments together.

Life is a winding path that takes us places many of us never thought or planned to go. But as we follow the circuitous route our life takes, we will find many interesting people and places along the way. Some are meant for the moment, others may become an ongoing part of our lives. Let's keep our eyes open and value, cherish and treasure the moments, for in them, we may find our future staring back at us.