Transitions
May is upon us, and with it the month of graduations, Mother’s Day and abundant blossoms. Graduations in particular are salient for me. I’m approaching the end of my graduate degree, and I’ve begun to reflect on the end of this chapter and what will become the beginning of the next one.
The conclusion of a tremendous undertaking (for me, it is a degree, for others, perhaps it is parenting children at home or even a career) can feel disorienting. This seemingly never-ending task, the goal I’ve dedicated years or decades of my life, is nearing an end. Now I find myself searching for some traction and finding only smooth, undefined features. Without the goalpost of my degree to strive for, how will I define myself? How will I organize my time and prioritize my activities?
This space—between the achievement and the beginning of a new road—is a precious envelope that can contain valuable wisdom if we let it. For me, I know the next stage of my career is about to begin, and I am all too ready to slip into the same habit of striving. But, perhaps that is a mistake—perhaps a better use of this moment is to reflect on what I have just been through. What are the best parts of the past few years (or months, or decades)? And what lessons do I want to carry forward? And, painful though it may be, it may be worthwhile to consider regrets of this era. For myself, in order to survive the grind of graduate school, I relied on a motto of “good enough” to a degree that I’m no longer comfortable with.
If this month brings you a transition, perhaps reflect on these same questions. And may the answers move you to the next chapter with greater wisdom and peace.
Creator, you have created all the seasons and are our companion throughout them. Help us learn the lessons each one has to teach us and bring us into each new chapter more equipped to be the face of your love here on Earth. Amen.
Elizabeth is a nearly graduated clinical psychology student. She is surviving the April showers and eagerly awaiting May flowers.