The End Is The Beginning
Last year of school? Wow. But that would be an understatement
because we've been working towards this moment all our lives.
We knew this day was coming. Just not sure when or how long it would take.
We've been waiting - our eyes transfixed on a prize.
It is the final lap of a race.
Your legs are giving in. There is throbbing in the chest. The breathing becomes heavy
and short.
Honestly, you want to sleep walk to the end,
but you strain your body to run harder.
It is that last breath you take before you throw yourself
across the finish line
People are screaming and shouting.
You don't hear it.
There are no words. Only the realization that
you won. It's finished. Done. Good job.
Suddenly there is a pang of sadness.
There is a tug in your heart as you sink into the thoughts
and recollections of your friends and life.
Suddenly you are overwhelmed by a speckle of loneliness.
It is a black hole. You are falling. You wonder about
the people around you. Will you ever see them again?
Where will they go? Will they remember you? Will you meet them again?
What was your significance to their lives? Did you do anything worthy
to be remembered of?
You graduated, so what?
That won't mean anything to them. At least not in the long run.
Cheers, hugs, handshakes, and pictures are nice in the moment. But life moves on. What we really want is a good job.
So does life stop? The steps continue. You set new goals and milestones.
Still, there is a longing - a longing to bathe in the comfort and success of now.
But everyone changes and grows. Now is not forever.
The end may bring some rain. Some tears. But there will be sunshine
and a rainbow.
Now, a fresh breath of air cools your senses. It is not the end.
It is the turn of a new leaf. The end of a chapter,
but the start of another. It's not the end.
It's the start of something new.