in the winding down of something, as an end approaches – you're not quite there yet, but perhaps you can see the finish line – I think we all begin to look forward.
humans like certainty. and when you know an end is coming, it's natural to wonder what it's giving way to. something ends so that something else can begin.
autumn is a good time for such reflection. it can be a time to reflect on all that has gone before, and with the breathing room allowed by the fact you can see the finish line but you're not quite there yet, you can take the time to plan for the next journey. you can think about what to take, and what to let go.
I'm comforted, this year, that as we approach the end of 2021 I feel I can cross to the other side (by which I simply mean 2022, I'm trying to stay on tonight's theme here, bear with me) effortlessly. there are no major changes to be made that I have not already begun to process and prepare for. and the rest can simply stay as it is.
2020 was the year of change. but after such change, things begin to settle and you can find your new normal. we were all told at varying points over the pandemic that there would be no returning to our pre-Covid life. and while this sounded dramatic, I do think we should appreciate there is never a returning. there has never been a returning. there is not even a forwards, as such. there is simply what is.
for me, what is, is simplicity. I work. I sleep. I enjoy my morning cup of coffee in our kitchen, with the warm autumn sun on my face, and take the chance to breathe. such moments of peace and tranquillity are vital in a society that would like to encourage us to move quickly. but in my every day, there is no rush. what am I rushing for? why would I like to meet the end sooner, and wish away what very well could be a million little moments of joy along the way?
because this year I have learned what life is truly about; those million little moments. it's not about the achievements or the notable celebrations, but the little moments in between.
it's being on the phone with your friend for an hour, on the way home from work, relaxing and debriefing and laughing at the events of the day, and being overcome with gratitude that you have someone to do the journey with. it's the unexpectedly good weather, your favorite song playing at work, an extra hour in bed. it's the morning cup of coffee.
and this is what I will take with me into 2022, the thing I have learned that will stay as it is; that life is all about the little things. and this is one thing we can know for certain – that no matter what the big things are, no matter what ends or begins, or we achieve or lose or win – we will always have the little things.
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