A few weeks before my daughter, Victoria, graduated from high school, I asked her how she felt about her new beginning. She replied with hope and enthusiasm. Then, she asked me, “Mom, how excited are you to have a new beginning, into this new chapter of your life?”
I had been overwhelmed with her college applications, senior trips, prom, and graduation, all while dealing with the fact that she’ll be leaving. I was so focused on her new beginning that I forgot about my own.
This was an exciting thought to ponder. It’s been 18 years since I intentionally focused on myself and all that I want to do or have been putting off. Take college, for instance. I took a break from school before Victoria was born—a break that I am still on today! There is also a new beginning in my relationship with my husband as we redefine and reacquaint ourselves in this new chapter.
I was so involved and consumed with a fear of change that I couldn’t see past that to a transformed and renewed life, full of possibility. What are the new transitions in your life? What do those new beginnings look like for you? Whatever they are, may they be filled with a renewed sense of self and may they re-define your best you!
This message is adapted from “Transitioning into new beginnings,” written by Gabriela Contreras, for the Women of the ELCA blog, on May 22, 2014.