Bittersweet Goodbyes

Smiling person wearing a college shirt, posing in front of corn fields.

Editor’s note: This post was originally written on May 11th, 2014. It has since been updated to reflect continued personal growth and the appreciation that deepens with time. And will continue to evolve with time.

Welcome, dreamers and doers.

Some seasons in life don’t announce their significance until long after they’ve passed. This post revisits one of those quieter endings. A final gathering that, at the time, felt simple but now carries the weight of a more meaningful goodbye. Whether you’re navigating your own ending or reflecting on one from long ago, I hope these words meet your where you are.

So today, I’m inviting you into one of those quieter endings. One that shaped me more than I first realized.

Before joining a student organization, I found myself in a season of uncertainty. I had stepped away from something I once dedicated myself to, unsure of where to turn next. What I didn’t know then was that saying yes to something new would quietly reshape my path.

Joining the student organization was more than just meetings and events. It gave me connection, purpose, and the steady return of something I’d been missing: belief in myself. Little by little, I found my voice, grew more confident, and began seeing my future with fresh clarity.

Looking ahead, knowing many of us would soon step into leadership roles, there was a quiet excitement. We each brought something different to the table, and the thought of building something together, not just for ourselves but for others, felt like the kind of beginning worth working toward.

Maybe that’s what community really is: people willing to show up, not perfectly, but fully. People who remind us that we belong, even as we’re still becoming.

Though time has passed, I continue to carry those lessons with me still. Growth often begins in spaces where we feel seen, supported, and safe.

Here’s to honoring the good things, even as they come to an end, and to the new beginnings we quietly make space for.

I’m curious, who or what shaped your seasons of growth? I’d love to hear your story, feel free to reach out, share in the comments, or quietly reflect in your own way. Until next post, keep living. Keep learning. And keep being you.

As a signature of my blog, I’d like to end this post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness.” There’s no time like the present to Inspire Those Who Inspire You. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better!

***These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer.***

How much is enough to consider? Throughout, For What It’s Worth, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about perspective, from what we know, what we don’t, what other people see, and what might change when we make room for another possibility All Things Considered brings me to one more question What happens when considered what we reasonably can and there are still things we may never know? It’s the final chapter (aside from the bonus post coming out this coming Thursday) of For What It’s Worth, and maybe the most personal question I’ve asked myself along the way 💛 Read All Things Considered, now live | Part IIII | Week 43 | For What It’s Worth series • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #AllThingsConsidered #ForWhatItsWorth #Perspective #SelfReflection #Curiosity

How can two people know the same person and describe them differently? Or experience the same moment and walk away understanding it in completely different ways? Same Difference, the next chapter For What It’s Worth, had me thinking about perception, perspective, and how much of another person any one of us really gets to see Different doesn’t necessarily mean someone has it wrong Sometimes it’s just means there’s more than one experience in the room 💛 Read “Same Difference” is now live | Part III | Week 42 | For What It’s Worth series | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #SameDifference #ForWhatItsWorth #Perspective #Perception PersonalReflectio

Every story has a storyteller And no matter how honest we try to be, there’s only so much of an experience we can fit into the version we tell someone else Long Story Short, the second chapter of For What It’s Worth, had me thinking about perspective, context, and what happens when complicated experiences have to become much shorter stories Maybe the shorter version can still be true The question is what might fit inside it. 💛 Read “Long Story Short” (now live) | Part II | Week 41 | For What It’s Worth series | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #LongStoryShort #ForWhatItsWorth #Perspective #ContextMatters #PersonalReflection

How much of what we think we know comes from what we’ve actually been told, and how much comes from what we’ve filled in ourselves? Fill in the Blank is the 1st chapter of For What It’s Worth, my new series exploring perspective, understanding and how much we really know about the people and situations around us This one gave me a lot to think about, especially when it comes to space between what we know, what we assume, and what we may never have the answers too Maybe the blanks are worth paying attention to, after all | Part I | For What It’s Worth series | Week 40 | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #FillInTheBlank #ForWhatItsWorth #Perspective #Curiosity #PersonalReflection

And just like that, we’ve reached the final chapter of The Things That Stay Handle With Care closes out a month of looking backward, looking forward, and occasionally realizing the answer might be somewhere in between In keeping this one vague because some things are better discovered along the way To close out the series, I’d love to know: What’s one part of yourself you hope life never changes? 💛 Read Handle With Care is now live Part V | Week 39 | The Things That Stay | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #TheThingsThatStay #HandleWithCare #LifeLessons #PersonalGrowth #StayCurious

Apparently, not every space needs filling 💛 Chapter 4 of The Things That Stay series is Do Not Disturb (now live) This week’s reflection is a little quieter than the others, but sometimes that’s where we notice things we’d would’ve otherwise missed Your challenge today is to give yourself 15 minutes with no place else your attention needs to be. Once you’ve completed, I’m curious, what do you notice (if anything)? • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #TheThingsThatStay #DoNotDisturb #QuietMoments #SlowDown #MindfulLiving

Funny how something familiar can look completely different from another point in your life 💛 Chapter 3, Still in the Running, is live Some things stay behind. Some change shape. And some have an interesting way of showing up again What’s something from an earlier version of your life you’d be curious to revisit? | Part III | Week 37 | The Things That Stay series | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #TheThingsThatStay #StillintheRunning #DreamAgain #PersonalGrowth #LifeReflections

Some changes happen naturally. Others make us wonder whether they were necessary in the first place 💛 Chapter 2 of The Things That Stay is Keep the Change (now live) This week, I’m looking a little closer at what we carry with us as we grow, and what might deserve a second look Before you read, what’s one part of yourself you’ve grown to appreciate more with time? | Part II | Week 36 | The Things That Stay series | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #TheThingsThatStay #KeepTheChange #PersonalGrowth #SelfReflection #LifeLessons

What if you don’t need to know exactly where you are yet? Not behind. Not ahead. Not lost. Just somewhere in the mix September’s new series, The Things That Stay, starts here 💛 The 1st chapter, Somewhere in the Mix, is now live Maybe there’s something in it that will meet you exactly where you are | Part I | September BONUS post | The Things That Stay series | • •• ••• •••• ••••• •••• ••• •• • #PersonalGrowth #LifeTransitions #SelfReflection #FindingBalance #EmbracingChange