Endings, Beginnings

Endings are beginnings.  (The optimist.)
Beginnings have endings.  (The optimist.)

Recently I entered into a new relationship in what seems the safest way possible...
- We had known each other for years
- We had shared ups, down, ugly and joyful - I mean we shared a lot of feelings and information
- We enjoyed and liked each other from the start and it grew to what felt like respect and love

In other words, we launched from friend to lovers from a foundation of trust.

While sipping wine at our favorite, local Italian restaurant or walking hand-in-hand hiking in the sunshine streaming forest, we beamed that our heads and hearts were "all in."  We smiled, enjoyed, and planned our future.  At 58 and 68 respectively, we both felt a sense of urgency.  He met my daughters.  Need I say more about how special and real this seemed?

Past tense.  Over.  Beginnings have endings.  This ended in four months.  Darn.  But not really.  Because, thank goodness, endings are beginnings.  And so, there is much to celebrate and I am celebrating.  I felt, gave, and received love and material gifts, something that has been difficult.  Thrilled to tears of joy by my first helicopter ride and it was in the beauty of Sedona, Arizona. 

Side Note:  The pilot, Garrett, was a very cool, calm and collected young husband and dad who looked like a cross between young Tom Cruise (Top Gun-esque) and young Tom Selleck. He loved that this was my first ride and because I didn't throw up in the first three minutes, he did some special maneuvers up, down, and around those red orange mountains. 

I made room for someone in my life (surprising), and guess what? It was not only not difficult, it was easy and it felt good. 

Without sharing the gory details of the Ending (the curious can see below), suffice it to say that the learning and reminders include the following: 

1.  It was too easy to overlook things, important things, at the values level. Not smart to mess with values.

2.  The Ending was easier to process because I was attacked at my values level.  This has caused celebration with very little sadness.  Relief.  Gratitude abounds.

3.  Girlfriends.  Thanking my close Girlfriends and my Family for amazing support.  Thank you Anna Quindlen for Lots of Cake Plenty of Candles, seriously the perfect beach read and the not-so-perfect relationship ending. There is a chapter called Girlfriends. (smile)

4.  Forever Joy optimism.  Thank you Universe for this resilience. 

For those curious...  He ended us via cell phone while I was on Sanibel Island readying myself for a professional job search.  This could be awful, but in fact, it was brilliant.  I had 3.5 more days of waves, sand, ocean sounds all day and night, dolphins, pelicans, ions and girlfriend Diane for a daylong visit.  Is there a better way to settle and strengthen a heart? 

Thank you for reading! 

What has launched in your life as a result of an ending? 
What have you learned about yourself when a beginning comes into your life?