The restaurant is on a lower level. One must pass through a single entrance and a small waiting area to enter. Except for the valet service personnel, the waiting area is absent of anyone beyond customers on the way in or out. In the quiet, I stood next to a large, beautiful flower arrangement. As much as I enjoyed its beauty, I could feel the fleeting beauty and temporary nature of what I was experiencing. While I did not know how long the arrangement would last, I knew it was dying. The end was inevitably coming.
I start today with the scent of the flowers, the feeling of soft and gentle beauty, and the temporary nature of life. Everything mixes with my reflection and the smells and warmth of the cup of coffee in my hands. I am filled with hope as I look to the future. At some point, the book I am writing will have an ending. I am hope-filled as I think of accounting for my journey. I also believe there is more. Today, whispers and thoughts centre on what is now.
In all its forms, endings involve letting go of the past and stepping into the new. In my awareness of the challenge of letting go of yesterday, I invite myself into today and the present. Letting go, for me, requires starting a new paragraph. It is a release of sorts, a gift for my heart. Each morning reflection reminds me of the observation; “Even the first plan required a death to set it in motion.” (Hebrews 9.18)
Endings include celebrations, forgiveness, awareness, and an opportunity to learn. A moment is just a moment, even as it asks for my full attention and engagement. Once past, it is something I can learn from as I step into the next. The cycle plays out in every experience, short and long. The question that remains constant is the moment in my hand.
Beginnings are filled with possibilities, supported by awareness and learning. Within me is freedom. Today, I bring my heart’s ambitions to life.
