It always fascinates me how different the end is usually from the beginning. I had a football game on the TV the other day and at the start the announcers were in their suit jackets looking all prim and proper, by the time we got down to the 2 minute warning they had their jackets off and sleeves rolled up. But the same is true for so many other areas of our lives. The appetizer round of Thanksgiving usually looks much different than dessert. August/September at school looks much different than June does. Your new house in the first year looks much different than it does in year 8 or 15. Your relationship with your long term significant other looks much different in the first years than it does after you’ve become an “old married couple” after being together for 15+ years. And we won’t even talk about how different we all look when we’re kids vs when we’re senior citizens.
But it’s also true that aging, or time passing, isn’t always a negative thing. It’s not bad to have a different finish than where you started. Yes, it’s exciting to have a fresh start to a school year, but at the end of the school year you leave with increased knowledge and new relationships. By the end of holiday dinners you’re hopefully relaxed and just enjoying each other’s company rather than worrying about food and seating arrangements. At the beginning of a project at work or around the house there’s a lot of anticipation and excitement about what might be, and by the end hopefully you’ve got something great to show for all the effort.
It’s just as important to start as it is to make it to the finish line. So whether your family is a month into the new school year or a week, like so many other things it’s important to remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s a good chance that the end will look much different than the start. Welcome in the growth and improvements and progress, and pay attention for the hazards or weak spots or areas of laziness that might crop up as you work along. And don’t forget to celebrate the start, the progress and when you cross the finish line.