Endings: Thursday's Reflection

One season ends. Another begins. 

Sometimes endings seem to pile up at the door. 

Lives end. Recently, one of my aunts died, the wife of my mother's brother and the mother of one of my favorite cousins. And about the same time a dear friend from our Cleveland days died quite unexpectedly. 

Careers and roles end: My husband is moving from being semi-retired to fully retired. 

Activities end: A group I have been leading these past months ended this week and another one will end soon. 

Books end. Relationships end. Vacations end. Responsibilities end. Days end. 

How ironic that as I was thinking about significant endings in my life, a book I had ordered arrived in the mail: It's Never Too Late to Begin Again, Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond by the Artist's Way guru, Julia Cameron.  Perfect.

And it is spring with daily bursts of color. 

And we Christians are in the Easter season. A season that defies endings. 

Once again I am grateful for the wisdom of  Joan Chittister. These words are from her book, In Search of Belief.

          To say, "I believe in Jesus Christ…who rose from the
          dead" is to say something about myself…It says that I
          myself am ready to be transformed. Once the Christ-life
          rises in me, I rise to new life as well."

Endings make room for transformation. At least that is what can happen, if we open the door and cross the threshold to transformation. 

Today seems like a good day for these words. I don't know the source, but no doubt they are familiar to you.
                    The path before me,
                    May I walk it in peace.

                    The path behind me,
                    May I leave it in peace.

                    And the path within me,
                    Oh, God, may it be peace indeed.
                                                Amen.

An Invitation
What endings have you experienced lately? Can you feel the transformation? I would love to know.