The End

As I recall, the last page of my favorite childhood fairy-tales finished by displaying these two famous words. But I always wondered – is the story really over? Do the characters go on living? If so, what happens to them? Do they continue to be as happy as they are at the moment when the fairy tale ends? I don’t think I ever really discovered the answers to these questions, but I guess I always kind of assumed that the characters’ lives did go on, but that it would be quite unrealistic to assume that they could continue living at the climax of happiness for every moment in the future. I guess my fairy-tale really isn’t much different. This is the end, and today I was hit in the face with the reality that my time is up. My adventure is over. And it turns out that sometimes the more you love something, the harder it is to let go of. Spain will always be a part of who I am. As I thought about how hard it is to leave the place I have grown to love so much, I realized how much harder still it is to leave the people I love in this place. I can’t really begin to describe, nor will I explain all the ways, in which this experience has impacted me; but just to say that it’s been life-altering, and that I don’t come back the same person that I was. I’m discovering that life is a continual journey of learning and growing, and all I can say is that this part of my journey has been truly unforgettable. This time has been more than I ever could have expected, and I am exceedingly thankful to God for it.
What I also know is that I’m not the only one who has changed in the last 8 months. Time has a way of changing the people and places I left, too. I’m excited to discover those changes, and re-integrate into my own culture and people. I’ve missed my family and friends and I’m ready to invest more of myself into their lives.
So, the question remains – do the protagonists continue to live at the climax of happiness for all of time? I don’t think so. But I think they do know that those moments wouldn’t be nearly as exhilarating if they hadn’t fought the dragon first. They probably even know that there may well be more dragons to fight in their futures. But I don’t think for a moment that they will back down. They’ll go out and fight. Why? Because they have more confidence this time, they’ve done it before, and because they know there’s another exhilarating moment to follow.