“Closing time…time to go out to the places you will be from.” ~ Semisonic
High school graduation, college graduation, the end of a relationship, the end of a friendship, death of a loved one, moving to a new home or city or state or all of the above, the end a job, children moving away to college, closing down the bar…etc. Endings are sometimes sad and confusing aren’t they?
We experience so many endings in this life. No matter what it is, everything feels out of sorts and a bit confused during these times. It is a weird, transitional state of limbo you find yourself in when something major changes in your life. I find comfort in normalcy and routine. Yet I long for change. I am a dreamer. I enjoy finding new inspiration. Yet I cling to the now. I am afraid of the now becoming the past…the end.
I said goodbye to a job today. But not only was it a job, it was a place where I felt a sense of belonging for over 2 years. I formed friendships that might possibly last forever. I learned a lot about others as well as myself. I can run an Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer like a mo-fo (and on many days 2 at the same time) however I hope I never have to again. I can weigh thousands of infant formula samples in a month. I can honestly learn something totally new every single day in the laboratory although I have been a lab rat for over 18 years now.
But I have learned the most from the people I have met. I have learned patience. I have learned to crack a joke when things just plain suck. I have learned to do things I don’t want to do with grace. I have learned tolerance. I have learned humility. I have learned that I don’t deserve things. I have learned to share more. I have learned to listen more. I have learned that none of us really has it all figured out. But we are ALL doing the best that we can.
And the door to my job has closed but I open a new door this week to more possibilities for learning and growth…not only in my career but also as a human being. I will miss you all. And I am looking forward to seeing my new friends that I haven’t even met yet. I hope we can all learn something from each other. That is why we are here…to help one another. To love one another even when we disagree…even when we get on each other’s last nerve.
This one goes out to my long time partner in crime. She has taught me a lot about chemistry…in the lab and the human kind. She will likely never read this but I hope she realizes someday that she is special. God made her that way. Nothing is ever really the ending. Every single day is a new beginning if you take control and realize YOU are responsible for your life. You got to let go of the past and make the best of what’s around you right now. You gotta take chances. You gotta be prepared to fail sometimes. It’s okay to cry. But you gotta remember you will ALWAYS rise again.
Today I am thankful for new beginnings. Thank you God for being with me every step of the way. 🙂
Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end…
Blessings,
Stacey ~ iamalive