A Little Bit About…A Chapter Finishing

I’m not much of a reader. When I do read, I’m one of those people that can’t put the book down until I finish a chapter. If I know I’ll run out of time or I’ll fall asleep and not be able to finish a chapter, I just don’t start it. Arguably that’s maybe what makes me “not much of a reader”.

Are there actually people out there capable of putting a book down half way through a sentence, half way through chapter 18 on page 237? That just seems like madness to me. Like having the TV volume at 11 instead of 10 or 12….utter madness.

But if I’m not a big reader, why am I talking about finishing chapters? Well because a few weeks ago I wrote about fresh starts, and how important they are. But what I didn’t really touch upon was that for a new chapter to start, another one has to end.

Yes, sometimes the thought of closing a chapter in your life can be daunting, as you realise you’re leaving a small part of you and your life behind. But most of the time closing a chapter is the best thing that can happen, because ahead there’s nothing but brand new words on a brand new page, untouched, unknown and full of exciting new twists and turns.

For the first few months of this year, until around Easter time, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that an important chapter of my life had come to an end. It might be because I turned 30 in January, it might be because I changed job in February, or it might be because I finally got some closure in March on what, for many years, has been my most important relationship until now. Regardless of the reason, I definitely felt like one chapter closed and another one was about to begin. And although some people might have been left with a “bad taste” in their mouth, longing for more adventures in their 20s, anxious about starting a new job or nostalgic about past love and relationships, I chose, and continue choosing, to look ahead and focus on what was next.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re all human, so it’s only natural to feel that longing, anxiety and nostalgia. But the key is acknowledging it, then moving on to the positive. There is something revitalising about getting closure on one thing and starting something new, about finishing something the way it was supposed to finish. We do it every single day, without even realising, like ending our sentences with full stops when we send emails in work, or closing the front door when we leave the house. So why shouldn’t we do it for the big things in life too?

Some chapters last just a couple of weeks, some a couple of months and some last for years. People come into your life then fade out, opportunities come about then disappear, you yourself change the way you think, act, feel. That’s the best thing about it, chapters are often unpredictable. Who wants to read the same book over and over and over again?

I was lucky that when my last chapter ended, I was flung into the next chapter: a fun filled summer of mini weekend trips away, quality time with close friends, getting to know new friends and with a bit of luck, a trip to the homeland to look forward to in August. The thought that the summer months are flying by at the speed of light only makes me appreciate every minute of all the fun in the sun even more.

That’s the beauty of it, some chapters are so good that you don’t ever want them to end even if they have to. So if you ask me, we should all appreciate every moment, experience and person that we’re lucky enough to come across in life as if each one was a carefully chosen word in the most riveting chapter of your favourite book.

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