Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.

Today, we're going to explore how we

relate to the endings in our lives.

So as we go about our lives, our

instinct is often to resist endings.

We hate goodbyes.

We often try to hang onto

relationships, even when we know that

it's probably past time to let go.

We don't want the kids to leave home.

We resist getting older and we often

go to really great lengths to avoid

thinking about our own passing away.

But endings are a natural part of life.

They're a part of the cycle of

impermanence and therefore it's an

unavoidable part of human existence.

And so this being the case,

the more we resist endings,

the more we tend to suffer.

As Thich Nhat Hahn once said,

you know, "It's not impermanence

that makes us suffer.

What makes us suffer is wanting things

to be permanent when they're not."

So, but endings, they can be

incredibly magical when we

don't resist them, can't they?

I mean, think about that beautiful

moment where the sun is just

about to slip below the horizon.

In those last moments, were

often more intensely present,

open-hearted, and in touch with

life and other moments, you know.

Think about how precious you

realize someone is when they're just

about to go away for a long time.

You realize how much you care

about them, or even that last

moment of a beautiful song.

When we lean into those endings,

they're often these moments

where we feel incredibly alive.

Now, of course, I don't want to

minimize the fact that many endings

are very painful and difficult.

So I'm not suggesting here that we should

try to like all the endings in our lives,

but rather that we can learn to accept

them, to honor them as a natural part

of the flow of our lives and let them

remind and teach us about the preciousness

of life and what really matters.

So today and going forward, I invite

you to remember to accept and even

embrace the impermanent nature of life.

Do your best to let go of

the resistance to endings.

Soften the clinging and see if

you can experience the endings as

fully as you can, allowing them

to awaken you, soften you and open

your heart to the present moment.

I hope you enjoy this practice.

It really is one that can create

a powerful deepening of awareness.

And as always, thank you for your

practice and your presence here with us.

And now let's settle in

for today's meditation.