A Time For Everything 💐
I've always looked forward to new beginnings.
They often feel like a second chance at life, a fresh start, a do-over.
Whether it was celebrating the start of a new year at 12:01 AM, walking into school with my first-day-of-school fit, or moving the final piece of furniture into my new loft apartment, new beginnings gave me something to look forward to.
Endings, on the other hand, have the opposite effect. They produce fear, causing me to cling to the very thing I’m supposed to be leaving behind.
It has been said that old things must end for new things to begin. In theory, that quote sounds good to me, and it’s probably something I’d post on my Instagram story on any given day. But in practice, it’s difficult for me to accept. So, believe me when I say it took a whole lot out of me to say goodbye to 2021 Taiwo.
I held on to her for as long as I possibly could, but even while gripping tightly, I knew in my heart that it was time to loosen my grip. On Wednesday night, we had our last exchange over text message. Her last words: Bye, Taiwo.
Don’t get me wrong—2021 Taiwo was incredible, and I enjoyed getting to know her. Since meeting her, our friendship evolved into something beautiful. We talked every single day, to the point where my friends began to ask what we spent so much time discussing.
We shared personal stories about our upbringing, talked through our life goals, career desires, and struggles. We were open, vulnerable, and transparent with each other. To this day, I can’t recall every detail from our conversations, but I do remember spending much of the time laughing at each other’s jokes. I tried extremely hard to keep a straight face during our FaceTime calls but failed quite often. 2021 Taiwo had a sense of humor I appreciated, and it showed. She often said I became her best friend, and I felt similarly.
So then, why let go?
My best answer to that question – it’s time.
“There is a time to hug someone and a time to stop holding so tightly. There is a time to look for something and a time to consider it lost. There is a time to keep things and a time to throw things away.” Ecclesiastes 3:5-6 (ERV)
It was time to let go of 2021 Taiwo. She wasn’t ready for where 2022 was taking me. So, on that Wednesday evening, I finally did what I had contemplated for two weeks—I said goodbye.
This scripture was exactly what I needed to see the following day. It comforted me, reminding me that there’s a time for everything—a time to begin, and a time to end.
It’s not easy, but it is possible.
So, here I am, reminding you and my future self that endings make room for new beginnings, and sunsets are proof that they too, can be beautiful.
〰T.
