Bittersweetness of Finishing

Whenever I finish something, especially when it was a difficult journey to get it done, I get a sense of satisfaction that I finished what I started. It's even more rewarding when the purpose of what I worked on will help others. It feels good.

But I can also get a sense of sadness when it's over. If I enjoyed working with others to finish a document, I can get sad that I'll never worked with or see them again, at least not in this life. 

Finishing something is bittersweet. But that's way it goes with all things writing. All documents, books, projects, contracts, and even jobs must come to an end. Every written work and what surrounds it must have a beginning, middle, and end. That's how it goes. I'm okay with it. I actually look forward to ending a work. But there's a sting to it, especially if you don't know if there's anything after it.  

But, bittersweetness can go both directions. You don't have to end the sweetness of finishing with a bitter taste. It can also go this way: There may be a bitter taste at first when you end something, but there's also a sweetness, sprinkled with scariness too, on what happens next.  A sweetness to writing new things, working with new people, and an opening to new opportunities and possibilities. It can be scary and unsettling but also sweet and exciting.

You can't taste what's sweet unless you can also taste what's bitter. So let me close with this apropos scripture:

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, -- Ecclesiastes 7:8a NIV