On New Beginnings

Every moment is a fresh beginning.

-T.S. Eliot

In my life, I have found it useful to create demarcations on my journey. It’s my own personal timeline that highlights places I’ve been, things I have done, and people that have impacted my life. It lets me look back and see how far I have traveled, and it reminds me of all that was, is, and what can be. Instead of hours, days, or years, there are moments that capture my life in sharp contrast and stunning color, and tell me what I found important and what I have valued on my way. How I have lived my life reveals to me who I am, my true self, and looking back on all my choices and experiences, how I have grown to be what I am in this moment, and let’s me see what I want to be going forward.

For part of my life, I let outside influences dictate to some degree what these moments were; as I’ve aged, I’ve found that I now create these moments intentionally, to savor and to enjoy, and shape what I want my future moments to be. I am more deliberate in my days, as I’ve realized how even daily habits that seem like a small trickle of water passing through my path can create large crevasses that can be obstacles in my way, or small stones that I collect to become steps to reach my loftiest goals. And I take the time to reflect, knowing that this moment, though fleeting, is just one of all my moments and a gift unto itself.

As the sun rises, and I breathe in the salty air and see the waves crashing on the shore, I sip my coffee from my perch on the sea wall in paradise. And I know that each moment, some seemingly meaningless and some meaning everything, are all waiting to unfold. And I feel blessed, and grateful, to experience them all.