We tend to think beginnings arrive with intention. A clear decision. A neatly defined moment when we say, “I’m ready for something new.”
But the truth is, some beginnings slip into our lives without announcing themselves. They don’t wait for us to feel prepared. They don’t ask if the timing is convenient. They simply arrive—quietly, gently, almost imperceptibly—and begin rearranging the furniture of our lives.
Sometimes, we invite a beginning without fully understanding what we’re welcoming in.
« Hey, maybe, if you guys are open to the idea, and you see a house with a granny suite, well, I would consider it. I like the idea of multi-generational living »
We make a small choice—a suggestion — one shift, one yes, one no—that seems insignificant. Yet beneath the surface, that action carries an entire transformation. A decision made for practical reasons often has emotional consequences we won’t see until later.
Maybe we say yes to a new opportunity.
Maybe we set a boundary.
Maybe we let something go.
Maybe we clean out a closet, clear a drawer, or take a single step toward simplifying.
At the time, it feels like logistics.
But in hindsight, it was a doorway.
(Read that twice…..)
Like the time this summer I floated the idea of moving in with my daughter and her family. Plenty of reasons it made sense, and many reasons for not doing it. I knew the implications would be huge for both parties, but I also trusted that the relationship could handle it.
There is a tender honesty in admitting:
We don’t always understand the magnitude of what we’re choosing when we choose it.
I think this is one of the most beautiful truths of being human—we are often wiser than we realize. Some part of us knows what needs to shift long before the rest of us catches up. We act from instinct, intuition, or a quiet inner longing, and only later do we see how that one choice invited a new beginning we didn’t know we needed.
Beginnings don’t always feel bright at first. Deciding to leave the last home I occupied with my husband until he passed, didn’t feel that significant, until it was. Sometimes they feel like loss, confusion, discomfort, or the unsettling sensation of stepping into unfamiliar territory. Change often asks us to loosen our grip on what was—even if what was felt safe, familiar, or deeply loved.
It’s harder than we expect ( at least it was for me). But if you look closely, you may notice that your life is already reshaping itself with a kind of quiet intelligence.
A fresh start may be unfolding even if you never consciously asked for it. Go ahead, set your wish upon that shiny Christmas Star.
So today, gently ask yourself:
What new beginning might be choosing me right now—and what part of me quietly invited it, even before I realized I had?
You don’t need all the answers.
You only need the openness to see what is already taking shape.
Fresh beginnings often arrive on their own schedule.
And sometimes, they choose us long before we feel ready.
