"What We Call the Beginning...

...is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."

-T.S. Eliot

Here is a fun fact about me. I don't like saying goodbyes. In any way, shape, or form. I try my best to avoid them... And today is my last full day at my first job. And I am dreading saying goodbye. I will miss the friendships I created here, the working environment. The great experiences I have cultivated first hand, the mistakes I have made. But I felt the need to move on, which resulted in my taking of a new job at a much bigger business. While only about a mile from my current office, I am still moving. Different roles and responsibilities, different location in my beloved Boston, different industry... I am leaving the non-profit industry, at least for now (I do still dream of coming back to this industry. Helping people is one of my passions!). But I have to learn and grow. I need to learn more about marketing and PR. I feel the need to grow, but I hate saying goodbye...

So I turn to my man, T.S.Eliot. There are such words of wisdom in his pieces...Above he states that in order to have a new beginning, many times it leads to an end, or a goodbye. But goodbyes do not have to be goodbyes; they can be welcomes, or hellos, or even a see you later. So embrace the endings in your life. See the light through the clouds (see the picture below...sometimes I amaze myself with my past experiences and how essential they are). Know that many things are only possible from taking chances and leaving your comfort zone.

So thank you to my Komen MA family. I have loved working with you and look forward to our paths crossing again in the future. And hello to my next adventure. It will be different, but oh-so exciting. I am counting on that!

Sitka, Alaska

Happy Thanksgiving

This morning, I went horseback riding on some of the Sudbury Valley Trustee land with a co-worker. I had to wake up at 5AM on a Sunday...Yes, I wanted to go that badly. She lives in Wayland, Massachusetts which borders the trustee land. It was spectacular, something only the good Lord could create. The land was truly indescribable. Untouched, unscathed, yet so well maintained. As we were galloping through the open fields and trotting up the steep hills, I felt even more connected to the beauty of this world. There is something so powerful and invigorating breathing in the air atop a horse. It's heaven on earth.

(Photo from Jill Kern via www.sudburyvalleytrustees.org)

This activity came at the end of a great weekend full of community service, time with family and friends, football games, puppies and ponies, celebrations with my boyfriend of one year, and Christmas preparations. It was the first time that I had completed all of this while in on my own. All of these activities have new meaning now that I am independent. I have been feeling so organized and somewhat stressed trying to balance all of the new responsibilities that come with moving out of your parents' home. Yet, this hour ride was such a renewing experience; moving through the trees, none of these things seemed to matter. All that mattered was the breathing of the horse and matching my slight twitching of my hands with the pressure in my legs. This meditative moment made me thankful for EVERYTHING else, even the stress...

I hope your Thanksgiving was full of family, friends, and fun. It is my hope that this feeling of renewal was felt by you as well, in whatever way that was appropriate for you! Now, it's time for those Christmas carols! 30 days and counting!