The End of an Era But The Start of an Age

An era can encompass any significant period in one’s life. Years are just one method of noticing the passage of time. Maybe your 2024 contained several eras or maybe this year feels like just one part of a bigger “era” in your life.
 
However we choose to define an era, when it ends, we may experience a range of emotions. Maybe we feel fondness or nostalgia at the end of a joyful era, or sadness that a special time has drawn to a close. We might feel pride (or relieved!) at the end of something challenging, or excitement at the prospect of something new. Perhaps this era has been painful and we feel exhausted, drained, or even regretful. We may even experience the full range of emotions when we look back on a significant period of our lives.
 
The end of an era can be a great time to reflect. What am I proud of from this era? What can I carry with me? What could I improve upon or let go of? Are there things I regret?
 
2024 was a difficult year for many of us. It’s important to give space to difficult emotions. Acknowledge what was painful. Be with those feelings. It’s okay to be sad, angry, or frustrated about the past year. In order to have hope and move forward, we need to acknowledge the hard things.
 
Over the past few New Year’s Eves, I’ve found myself looking through photos and videos from the year (as I’m sure many of you do as well). I was struck by how many photos I found of days I had forgotten about. Small moments where I felt peaceful, calm, or happy and wanted to document it. Despite the difficult times of this year, I was glad to remember small moments of joy.  I hope I can carry those memories with me into the future and hold on to them on harder days.
 
Whether 2024 was good to you, awful to you, or somewhere in between, that era has drawn to a close. We bid her farewell (or maybe good riddance!) and turn towards the next. Wishing you all a happy start to 2025 :) Whatever era you’re heading into, I hope it’s a good one.
 
“Long story short, I survived.”

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By Elizabeth Foote, LCPC