Endings

Everything comes to an end; and the more endings I live through, the more I think there’s a need to embrace endings rather than dread them.

Most of us experience some level of anxiety around endings. They usually come with a sense of sadness and loss, as if the end is always something bad. Or a sense of impending doom; a little bit of terror, fear of the unknown, feelings of inadequacy and panic. 

But I’ve begun to embrace endings. I’m integrating them into my life with the understanding that  endings are also new beginnings. When something comes to an end it inevitably leads to something different, something new, a change, and what if that new beginning were always the small, silver lining in the endings we experience?

As the year comes to a close, there are so many moving pieces on the board. The holidays, family, friends, uncertainty, looking back, and looking forward. It’s a little overwhelming and I have a tendency to put my head down and muddle through with the idea that ignoring it might make it all go away. I’ll wake up having avoided all the awkward thoughts, feelings, and questions that swirl incessantly through my mind (that never actually works…). However, embracing endings has brought me into December with a little spring in my step.

I have a curiosity about what’s around the corner; I’m not worried about what I did nor did not accomplish this year; I’m not worried about what I’m going to accomplish next year. I feel peaceful, a contented sense of calm and courage effusing my system as I navigate the holidays and the impending ‘end of the year.’ Was this year perfect? No. Will next year be perfect? No. Am I perfect? Certainly not. But I don’t feel the need to be anything other than what I am—someone embracing life and loving it and living it to the fullest.

Somehow, that makes endings a little less scary. The end of something glimmers with a little silver, hiding in the lining, promising me something interesting around the corner.

Journey Prompt:

As we head towards the end of one year and the beginning and of another, take a moment to pause, breathe, and sit with your swirling thoughts and emotions.