Why Every Ending Is Also a Beginning
What comes to mind when you think of graduation? How many times have you graduated? And how many milestones still lie ahead?
Before looking forward, it helps to reflect on the graduations you’ve already experienced.
Today, graduations are celebrated for many things. I remember hearing about a preschool graduation and thinking, “What is the world coming to?”
The milestone graduations I remember most are high school and college. High school marks the culmination of twelve years of maturing, changing, and finally reaching the finish line. A first grader does not think about high school — unless you have a very unusual first grader. If so, that child is likely to sprint rather than run the marathon.
Twelve years is a long time, and the journey is worth celebrating. You have worked hard — or not. You have had success — or not. You have changed in ways you could not have imagined at the beginning.
Your brain has changed. Your body has changed. You are not the same person who started this marathon.
And yes, the first twelve years of education are a marathon.
There is some preparation at the start. Your parents taught you colors and numbers, and hopefully how to be polite to grown‑ups. Though I’ve heard that some children now enter first grade without knowing their colors or numbers. Help.
Midway through, your body undergoes dramatic changes. Uncertainty follows, but such change is normal. A college friend once said she spent a summer “growing in bed.” Adapting to these changes — physical and mental — is essential, though brain development is a topic for another day. Ideally, you now embrace your new body and have challenged it. Maybe you’ve built muscle, experimented with style, and adjusted your wardrobe.
High school graduation is a milestone. From here, you can go in many directions: college, the armed services, the labor force, volunteer organizations, gap years, or study abroad. You have choices, and hopefully one of them will launch you out of the nest and into the world.
Some will not make it and will return to the nest for a relaunch. Sadly, a few will not make it at all.
This launch is one of many. Graduation marks transitions — college, work, relationships, and new journeys. Each graduation leads to another.
For more reflections on life transitions, identity, and emotional development, explore articles on Psychology Today and research from Greater Good Science Center.
If you are navigating a transition — or preparing for a new “graduation” in your own life — therapy can help you understand the emotions, expectations, and possibilities that come with change. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support clarity, resilience, and growth.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst
