Monday, because it’s the beginning of the work week for some, reminds me of beginnings as it applies to daily life. There’s the beginning of life, the beginning of death, the beginning of a new business or a new job. There’s the beginning of a marriage, or the beginning of thoughts of a divorce. It could be the beginning of school, or the beginning of maturity at the close of one’s school life. Perhaps it’s the beginning of training for the olympics, the religious life, or the presidency of a country.
It’s the beginning of an illness, or the beginning of grief, or the end of it and the beginning of healing. It could be the beginning of freedom with the end of a jail term. The end of one lifestyle and the beginning of another, or a trip around the world and the beginning of an adventure. There’s the beginning of a friendship, or the beginning of new intimacies as two families become one, could be the beginning of happiness with a new understanding about a situation, or the beginning of peace or the beginning of war, there’s the beginning of creativity with a painting, a poem, a garden, a song, or a thought. There’s the beginning of the holidays, and the beginning of forgiveness, or the beginning of ease by letting go of stress. Always there are beginnings and their endings and a world of endless possibilities.
“The purpose is to be in the present moment and enjoy each step you make.” says Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. “Therefore, you have to shake off all worries and anxieties, not thinking of the future, not thinking of the past, just enjoying the present moment.”
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