The Beauty of New Beginnings

The Beauty of New Beginnings

There is something special about September.

Even though January is known as the start of a new year, September has always felt like a fresh beginning to me. Maybe it’s because I have spent so much of my life as a student, a teacher, and now an educator who still looks forward to the excitement of a new school year. There is something hopeful about opening a new planner, walking into a new classroom, or simply watching the leaves begin to change.

I also love fall. It’s my favorite season. As soon as September arrives, I look forward to cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, pumpkins, cozy sweaters, and decorating my house for fall. There is something peaceful about this time of year that makes me slow down and appreciate the beauty God created.

September also holds another milestone for my family. My daughter, Laura, turns 20 this month. That is a birthday I can hardly believe. It seems like just yesterday I was bringing her home from the hospital, and now she’s entering another year of college and becoming the amazing young woman I always knew she would be. Watching your children grow is one of life’s greatest joys, but it also reminds you just how quickly time passes.

I’ve always loved the back-to-school routine. Shopping for supplies, preparing for a new classroom, and settling into a schedule has always given me a sense of purpose. This year, though, it feels a little different. One child is heading back to college, and the other isn’t exactly thrilled about returning to school. As a mom, I miss having everyone under one roof, and the house feels a little quieter each fall.

Even so, I still enjoy getting back into a routine. As a teacher, I love returning to work, meeting new students, and doing what I love. And I’ll be honest—after the summer break, I’m also happy to be earning a paycheck again! Teaching has always been more than a job to me. It’s an opportunity to encourage students, help them grow in confidence, and remind them that they are capable of more than they may believe.

September reminds me that life is full of new beginnings.

As someone living with cerebral palsy, I have learned that new beginnings don’t always come easily. Many of the biggest chapters of my life were filled with uncertainty. Starting kindergarten. Being included in a regular education classroom. Leaving home for college. Becoming a teacher. Becoming a wife. Becoming a mother. Surviving breast cancer. Finding my voice again after vocal cord paralysis. Launching my speaking ministry and author website.

Each one brought excitement, but each one also brought fear.

I have discovered that courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is taking the next step even when my muscles—and sometimes my heart—are shaking.

When I was younger, I often wondered what my future would look like. Would people accept me? Would I ever get married? Would I become a mother? Would I have the career I dreamed of? Looking back now, I smile because so many of the things I worried about never came true. God was already writing a story that was far greater than anything I could have imagined.

That doesn’t mean every beginning has been easy. I’ve experienced disappointment, loss, discrimination, health challenges, and seasons when I questioned what was next. But every difficult chapter eventually opened the door to another opportunity.

Sometimes a new beginning comes because we choose it.

Sometimes it comes because life chooses it for us.

Either way, we have a choice in how we respond.

September also reminds me that growth takes time. Students don’t learn everything on the first day of school. Trees don’t change colors overnight. Seeds don’t become flowers in a single day. Growth happens little by little, often in ways we can’t see until we look back.

The same is true in our own lives.

Maybe you’re starting a new job. Maybe your child is leaving for college. Maybe you’re facing a medical diagnosis, grieving a loss, or wondering what your next chapter will be. Whatever your new beginning looks like, don’t let fear convince you to stay where you are.

Every meaningful chapter begins with one small step.

As I enter another September, I don’t know everything this season will bring. But I do know this: every year has taught me that God remains faithful through every beginning, every ending, and every chapter in between.

So here’s to fresh starts.

Here’s to crisp autumn mornings.

Here’s to pumpkins on the porch and colorful leaves.

Here’s to cheering on our children as they grow, even when it’s hard.

And here’s to believing that your best chapter may still be waiting to be written.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:19

May this September remind you that it’s never too late for a new beginning.