Saying Goodbye

Endings are better than beginnings.

Sticking to something is better than standing out.

Ecclesiastes 7:8

My family recently had to say goodbye to our beloved "Big Dog." What added to the heartbreak was that we had to choose to give him away. He had developed some behavior problems that were bigger than we could handle. We tried our best for 8 months to love him into changing, but it just didn't happen. We had to give him over to professionals who could help him in ways that we couldn't.

And our journey with him has me thinking about letting go. About giving up the things that we love dearly, but that might not be good for us.

The quote at the beginning of this post has always seemed very curious to me. I don't like endings. I like routine. I like things to stay the same. I don't want it to end because that means change.

However, if old things don't come to an end, then new things don't get a chance to start. And as uncomfortable as it sometimes is, new things bring an opportunity for growth.

Starting school again has driven this point home. This year it was especially hard to return. I think it's because I did summer so well. I didn't work. I read. I relaxed. I did what I wanted. And for the first time ever, my husband was also only working part time. So, it was a really good family summer vacation.

Returning to school meant returning to 11 hour days outside of home. Ugh. UGH! I've had to filter quite a bit out of my life. Just to make room to breathe. Maybe you can find some things to sift as well...

Re-prioritize... What is important? What is essential? What can I let go? What should I let go?