Seasons come and seasons go. And often we simply move from one to the next without much consideration. And perhaps these gradual transitions are natural and don’t need much attention otherwise. But some seasons are significant enough to clearly punctuate and end with a period.
In writing, a period is used to signal the end of a complete sentence. It’s a full stop – conveying a definitive pause before moving on. And they’re many times throughout our life and relationships that we need to clearly punctuate the ending of a season as well.
For instance, graduations, weddings, and funerals are all big life events typically marked by some type of ritual. And these rituals help us to punctuate the ending of one season and the beginning of the next.
Parties are also ways we try to communicate a clear ending – such as a going away party when we change jobs or move to a new city, or when we retire from one career or before starting our next adventure.
And while these endings might typically be done in formal or corporate ways, there are times it’s also needed in small, private, and informal settings. For example, a final drive around the neighborhood, a last meal, or simply a personal day of remembrance.
Whatever it looks like, it’s often helpful to bring one season to a full stop before entering the next.
This is not to suggest everything can be neatly packaged and wrapped up with a bow. Life is often too messy for this. But punctuating our life with periods allows us to pause, take a breath, and better situate ourselves through the ever-changing river of life. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when everything simply runs together.
Learn to punctuate your life and relationships with meaningful periods – bringing a definitive end to one season and freeing you to fully enter the next.
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
