Every ending leads to a fresh beginning

Responding to Belden Lane’s, “The Solace of Fierce Landscapes: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality”
Ashley Smith
Endings as new beginnings
“One would think it should be otherwise, but the pain of closing is antecedent to every new opening in our lives” (Lane, 25).

This is the first time that I have ever seen Lane write with such strong emotion; not only is this passage emotional, but also quite personable. His writing touched me the most when I came across the quote, which I recorded above. It is kind of sad truth in a way-that all endings essentially lead to new beginnings. The closing of one story is the opening of another-it seems like a paradox, yet is a part of the human life-cycle. I have often heard people quote the saying, “Every beginning has an ending,” and “All things come to an end.” It is a difficult fact for me to face, but it is truth. The only thing constant in life is change. I remember vividly when I was in the 11th grade and a best friend gave me some of the most profound advice that I still carry with me to this day. She was the one that made me come to the realization that change is the only thing or concept that is constant in life. Life is constantly in motion; the world and its components never stop. People, places, and people’s situations continuously change throughout life.