Endings Are Just Sneaky Beginnings
“Oh no! The snow is melting off the foothills!” was my recurring thought each spring. The end of each season had its own tragedies.
I won’t be able to snowboard for months and months and months!
And then…
The blossoms are almost gone off the trees!
And then…
It’s almost too cold to go onewheeling after midnight!
And then…
The fall leaves are almost gone and then the trees will be bare and ugly.
And then I get to be sad about winter ending and start it all over again!
I love all the seasons and I think it’s ok for me to be sad about them ending, but I was letting that distract me from the fact that I could also be excited for the next one.
One day while on a walk I watched the last few brightly colored leaves cling to the tree as the first chilly November gusts came through our neighborhood. It made me sad that they were almost gone.
I noticed the sadness (kind of a new skill for me) and got curious about it. It made sense. I was sad that what I loved was ending, forgetting it always comes back. I’d get sad at every ending and stay grumpy long after it was over. I was really only enjoying the middle of each season. After this particular moment of introspection, I decided that I was no longer willing to only enjoy the sweet spot and miss the rest.
When a season’s end rolled around I let myself feel sad about it, but I used that as a reminder to think of the exciting things that come next. It completely shifted my perspective on the changing of seasons. Now, when the snow melts or the leaves fall, I will sometimes say out loud, “Goodbye, you were awesome,” and then I turn to welcome all the incredible things from the next season.
Real Talk: This perspective was embarrassing to think about sharing. It felt so naive. But it was just something I hadn’t learned yet and there’s no shame in that.
