Beginnings

In three weeks, I will have earned a Master's degree. It's an exciting achievement that has left me, frankly, scared to death. When I began graduate school in the fall of 2008, I had no idea that the journey I was embarking on would be one of the best ventures of my life. Here I was cruising along through coursework and finally, my Master's thesis. This week, when I completed my thesis and the last "i" was dotted and the last "t" crossed, I felt this inexplicable calm come over me. (Well not inexplicable, clearly I was relieved that I had finally finished the darn thing.) But more than that, I realized that at the end of every beginning is another beginning. Don't like my tautology? Ok, basically...life is full of beginnings. When you've reached an end, it's time to begin anew again. Sometimes it's scary, like if you get a divorce and have to start over. How on earth will you find yourself without your spouse? When you lose a job, where do you begin again?

Every moment of everyday provides us an opportunity to build the strength within ourselves so we can find the answers when we face life's biggest challenges. Yes, endings are sad and beginnings can be scary, but between each beginning is a chance to grow into the kind of person that is prepared to face an end. But what if it's unexpected? Even still, make each moment in your life count so much that if the bottom does fall out, you'll be ready to face the challenge head on. While another ending for me is forthcoming, the prospect of a new beginning has me more excited than scared.