Reflections On Expiration Dates

To everything, there is a season ... 

these freshly-cut flowers were planted and grown

for this beautiful Mother's Day bouquet

but, after they've served their purpose,
to celebrate our Mom and let her know that she is loved,

they will start to 

wilt,
dry up, 

turn brown, 

and fade away.

That's how life works; 
everything has an expiration date.

So today, as I think about expiration dates,

it's time to thank you, dear readers, for

sticking with me at The Corner on Character

for the five years that I've spent 
sharing, 
connecting 
and growing with you through my reflections.
Today's post is #1318.
Nothing really special about that number, 
except that evidently I've had a lot to say
and a lot of resources to share.
Some of the links have expired already;
please accept my apologies for those.

I started this journey five years ago, as our daughter was graduating from HS and leaving the nest for her five-year Architecture program, so it seems to fit that I'd feel the pull to retire from blogging just as she graduates from UT.

Doors open ... 
and then they close.
Expiration dates make room for born-on dates
because endings spark new beginnings.

So today, I'm grateful, 
that you have come along with me
during this season of online reflection.
Thank you for your kind comments over the years.
Thank you for your affirmations during the happy 
and support during the sad.
Thank you for connecting and sharing life with me.

It has been so much fun to create content that I thought
readers like you might enjoy, and I'm going to miss thinking,
I can blog about this!
But right now feels like a good time to move on,
like my blogging expiration date has arrived,
so I'm signing off.
Joyfully.
Satisfied.
With no regrets.

I invite you to go back through those
thirteen hundred and eighteen posts now and again
for some inspiration or motivation.
Who knows? You just may hear or feel something again
{or for the first time} just when you need it the most.

I still plan to update my Books That Teach list
as I come across new titles that you simply must check out.

I'll also keep up my book's FB page and my Pinterest pages, so feel free to check in with me there. I always love hearing what you're up to.

If you want to meet up in real life,
come to one of my workshops or keynotes,
or schedule a school visit in Texas at Bales Intermediate.
If you're interested in hosting a character training,
shoot me an email or give me a call.
I'm super excited about an upcoming Montana trip to connect with a certain counselor
who wrote my blog's all-time most popular guest post: Empathy in a (Shoe) Box.

To everything, there is a season;
may you be blessed as you bless.