Lasts

I am not very big on lasts. The sentimentalism of them just reaches out and grabs me. As a reflective person, I find myself spending free time thinking about what they mean and what transitions have taken place that lead to the event, and how the event is a transition for something bigger.

All year I have faced lasts, which is strange because many of them are “seconds.” Now I bear now on many of my last monthly things. As I supervise student workers, we had our last monthly meeting the other week. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with them and the interactions I have been able to have with them.

Talking with some classmates and friends, I have learned that I am not the only person experiencing this end-of-this-chapter sentimentality. I find myself wondering – what if we could be this appreciative of our experiences all the time?

When I was months away from graduating college, Nicki Minaj had a popular single on the radio when she sang about how she wishes that “I could have this moment for life.” A few months ago Pitbull and Christina Aguilera came out with a single where they sing about how “I just want to feel this moment.”

There is a lot to be said about living in the moment, and enjoying everything around you. Over the past two years I have experienced a lot of pain, fear and challenges. I has become apparent to me that enjoying the bitter is important. The bitter challenges make the sweet victories that much more amazing, just like we appreciate a nice sunny warm day after months of cold and rain. It is not always easy to appreciate the hard times. I guess that is one of the challenges of life.

What are some things you appreciate about your current chapter of life?