Today is my last day somewhere I’ve been for seven years.
Seven years of routines.
Seven years of familiar faces.
Seven years of friendships that became part of everyday life.
And today is harder than I expected.
If I’m being honest…this is where I notice myself clinging. And it’s painful.
Because it isn’t just a job I’m leaving.
It’s people.
People I’ve laughed with.
Solved problems with.
Seen almost every day.
It’s not easy to walk away from.
And it brings up something we’ve all felt for as long as we can remember.
Clinging.
We felt it in our childhood when a friendship changed. When a school year ended. When something good didn’t last as long as we wanted it to.
The instinct to hold on. To keep things the same. To not let it end.
And the pain that came with it.
The same pattern exists with us as grown-ups.
Now it shows up in jobs, in friendships, in identities we’ve built over time.
Heck, it shows up in our physical clutter, and expectations of others.
The resistance we feel to change and the pain that comes with it…is rooted in clinging.
But life doesn’t stay the same.
People move.
Our children grow up.
Roles change.
Seasons end.
And when we try to hold onto something that’s already shifting, we feel the tension, the heaviness and the resistance to what’s actually happening.
Sitting here today, I can feel both sides of it.
The gratitude for what these friendships have been, and the pull to try to keep them exactly the same.
But I know how that ends.
Clinging doesn’t preserve something good. It turns it into something heavy and painful. Because you’re not just appreciating it, you’re trying to control it.
And that never works.
Some of these friendships will carry forward. Some will fade entirely. And some will simply evolve into something different.
That’s how real life works.
So today isn’t about holding on tighter, it’s about letting go…and appreciating what has been.
Because the goal was never forever.
It was to experience it fully while it is here.
So remember this the next time you feel yourself clinging. Whether you’re cleaning out your closet, changing jobs, or saying goodbye to a friend.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, so just hit reply and let me know.
And if this hit home, pass along to someone who might need it.
Until then, enjoy the crazy weather and… Keep. It. Simple.
Yours in Simplicity,
Jimmy