“It’s not over. It’s beginning.”
At least this is what I will tell her when she sighs about something ending. The kindergarten school-year, say, coming to a close.
“But it’s all so over…” She will moan. Small hand in mine. Walking away from the building I will walk her to each day.
I will smile. I will shake my head. And then I will tell her how it will be.
“At first — today, maybe — you will be sad. Because it will be over. But then — tomorrow — there will be a summer, and it will be lovely and warm and full of bright night stars. And you will laugh and run and play for a long, long time. And then, just when it is ending and you think you might be getting a tiny bit sad about the popsicles and the mown grass and the sprinklers all going away — that thing you once missed will come right back.”
“It will come back?” She will say, not quite believing.
“Of course,” I will answer. “All the best things do. Sometimes not exactly as you think they will. Sometimes they come back looking at a bit different. A new hat, say, or a new teacher entirely, sometimes. But yes, they come back again. Always.”
And then we will keep walking, and my daughter will be happy with the ending of her beginning (or the beginning of her ending).
And as we walk, I will tell myself the same thing. Because I have seen it before and I will see it again and that day as in future days I will need to remind myself of what I know I know I know.
There will be that new beginning.
(And she will be my daughter. Someday.)
Love this post Claire!
This one spoke to me- thanks for your great writing!
thank you, this is a good beginning for me, and my son, i’m going to appropriate of your words.
I’m not sure if “Wow” covers it, but it’s all I got, so…
Wow…
Deep. Insighful. Sweet. Thanks for the reminder that every end is a new beggining – and every beginning will have its end. The duality of life! Around and around in an infinite loop. I love it!
Thanks for the great post, without you knowing this post is exactly what i needed today
Very lovely & wonderful, Claire.
Thanks!
Beautifully said. Very touching.
I subscribed your website unknowingly. Perhaps it was my fortune to get some wonderful lessons of life… amazed by your each & every piece… Cheers to you!
Claire, really great and inspiration for daddys and moms like us.
My kindergartener daughter is just beginning to realize, with the onset of warmer weather, that summer is approaching, and with it, the end of school. I will reference your wise words of the ongoing cycle of beginnings and endings when this conversation comes up and will let you know how it goes. Thanks for sharing.
🙂 yes, all the best things in life will come around once more, though this time, we’ll probably experience them through the eyes of our little ones. How beautiful will that be! 😉
Beautiful. Thanks for the post!
SO good! Thank you for writing, beautiful way to look at endings.
-Helena
@Claire heart touching <3, love that.
thank you claire… once yet again… hope you are doing good.
i will tell this story to my daughter.
and to myself…
cheers,
M