Last week at a community luncheon event, I was seated next to my realtor. She turned to me and asked, “Do you remember what happened after this event last year?” “Of course I do,” I said brightly. “We went to the closing for my new house.” We laughed, them shook our heads and marveled over the way time flies and how much can happen in a year.

The conversation was on my mind all week. In some strange way, the year with this new home has been a metaphor for weathering life’s endings and beginnings. Patiently taking the house from a state of neglect and utter disrepair to a place infused with light, clean lines, and energy has filled me with hope for the future.

Endings are hard. They can be terribly painful if they are not desired. They can be scary and daunting if they are associated with change. They can be wistful and sad even if as they are embraced. Over the past twelve months, my aunt passed away; I sold my kids’ childhood home (and all of its contents); and I quit my job.

Then, after the storm, the dawn comes. There’s an adrenaline rush that comes with beginnings. They too can be scary and daunting, but exciting at the same time. My niece had another baby; my move to a new home exposed me to a new neighborhood and friends; and the new job (many of my friends have started new jobs too!) established new routines and experiences. I feel happy in ways that I haven’t felt for years.

And there you have it. Another year has gone by at warp speed. I cannot, of course, know what the next year will hold, but I am optimistic. I know that, even when it’s thundering and lightning, there still are blue skies above.