It’s an End and a Beginning

It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

I was sitting in the seats at our twins’ high school graduation last week, and one of the speakers said this. “It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.” Among all of the other things that were said and done during that ceremony, that one-liner could be easily glossed over. For some reason, though, it landed – possibly because I am a dad navigating my own empty-nest transition and possibly because that statement is true about so many things in life.

You lose a job.
It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

You start a new role.
It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

You finish a year-long project.
It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

You graduate from college to start your career.
It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

You start to wind down your career.
It’s an end and a beginning, all at the same time.

Our lives are a continuous cycle of ends and beginnings. Often, we get so caught up in what we’re giving up as we end a season that we miss getting excited about what’s coming next. We’re used to what we’re used to, and there is comfort in what we know. Endings bring unknowns, the uncharted and unfamiliar, and sometimes, surprises. On the other hand, beginnings bring opportunities for growth, stretching, and the kind of discomfort that leads to breakthroughs.

Watching two high school seniors hear their names called, crossing a stage to get their diplomas, all of that is true. They’re leaving what they know, journeying into the unfamiliar, and entering a new season that will stretch them in ways they don’t know yet. I’ve been trying to watch them a bit, looking for some clues to see where their mindset is. At the moment, I’m guessing they’re feeling all of the feels above, pulled between an end and a beginning.

The lesson here is simple. There’s nothing permanent.

“No permanence is ours, we are a wave that flows to fit whatever form it finds.”
– Hermann Hesse

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Look for the ends and the beginnings, and embrace them both.