karin dancy

It’s hard to believe that we’re quickly nearing the end of this very special pregnancy. I think back to last fall, when my eyes kept adjusting to the pink lines on the home pregnancy tests (I took 2, remember?). In shock, all I could think was, are you kidding?!? I have more than enough “life” on my plate already! Working as an entrepreneur, being a wife and a mom of 2, caring for dad in our home, volunteering . . . AND I’m knocking on 47!

At the time, I couldn’t imagine that our current rhythm of life was ending. Nor could I imagine that a new baby would mean the end of the game plan my hubby and I created, a plan that included an empty nest in 6 years or so, not 18. It took a bit of time for us to wrap our heads around it all.

As the pregnancy now nears its end, I find myself thinking about the different kinds of endings we face in life, and how we sometimes feel about them. Endings usually make us feel everything from sheer ecstasy, to misery or despair. Good, bad and in between, endings signify that something is finished. Over. Kaput. Because we’re so human, they can feel so final.

But, this pregnancy reminds me that endings are not really capped off with a period . . . rather, they’re often followed by a semicolon or a comma. Although it may feel final, an ending is really a stepping stone to a new chapter preparing to unfold in our lives. A school year wraps up, ushering in a summer of fun for kids. A young man graduates from college, launching his career as an adult. A job is cut, and a used-to-be employee successfully takes the risk of becoming her own boss as an entrepreneur.

In other words, endings are also beginnings. If we stay open to this idea, it becomes easier for us to see that endings are new chances to hit the Refresh Button on areas of our lives. They show up as new experiences that can help us discover abilities and interests we never knew we had. Perhaps they are simply fresh opportunities to stretch, grow and learn.

This pregnancy has certainly been one of my greatest teachers. When our empty nest plan fizzled out, my hubby and I created a new one to make room for one more person to love day in and day out. When our “we’re done having kids” motto no longer applied, a new way of telling our story as a family was born. And, as this pregnancy winds down, we are excited to launch a whole new adventure of raising another child with a God-given purpose.

I have no doubt that, when something in our lives comes to an end, its hopeful companion is the start of something new. And when we readily embrace endings also as beginnings, we can be blessed beyond measure.

Your Turn:
Share a time when you discovered that an ending was also a beginning in your life.