"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven..."
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“that we begin to stop
in order to begin
again."
— Maya Angelou, from Late October
Recently, Brenda and I sat down to record the final episode of Season 1 of The Serene-ish Podcast.
We reflected on our conversations, what surprised us, what challenged us, and what brought us joy. It was a space that we intentionally made together to end this chapter well.
Our culture is very good at celebrating beginnings. We love fresh starts, new goals, launch days, and next chapters. We know how to ask, “What’s next?”
We’re less practiced at asking another question:
How do we end well?
When something meaningful comes to a close, our instinct is often to rush ahead before we have fully acknowledged what has been.
Finish the thing. Cross it off the list. Start the next thing. Repeat.
But spiritually, I wonder if we miss something when we hurry through our endings. Maybe we miss the opportunity to learn. Maybe we miss noticing the feelings and thoughts underneath the surface. Maybe we miss the kind of transformation that only happens in the process of ending intentionally, deliberately, and slowly.
As a spiritual director, I often sit with people who are living through endings.
Some are leaving jobs that once gave them purpose. Others are watching children grow up and leave home. Some are grieving a relationship that has changed. Others are stepping away from ministries they’ve faithfully served for years.
Not every ending is dramatic or tragic. Though some are.
Sometimes it’s simply the end of a season, and there is a quiet realization that something has run its course.
Endings rarely arrive carrying only one emotion. There might be gratitude and grief. Relief and uncertainty. Joy and sadness. Hope and loss. All at the same time.
Perhaps endings ask us to loosen our grip.
One of the gifts of spiritual direction has been learning that there is often holy work in the spaces between chapters, within the silence after something concludes, and the pause when we donʻt know yet know what’s coming next.
These in-between, liminal spaces can feel uncomfortable because they resist productivity. Nothing obvious is happening. And yet, they are often the places where our souls catch up with our lives. Gratitude deepens. Grief is acknowledged instead of avoided. We begin to notice what this season has quietly formed within us.
As Brenda and I reflected on Season 1, we sat in the in-between space together, and I found myself feeling grateful. Grateful for the friendship, conversations, laughter, lessons, and especially for the people who listened.
We received thoughtful emails and messages from those who felt seen in our discussions about soul care, discernment, melancholy, holding space for others, and living with gentle intention. What a gift to us.
I’m also grateful that we aren’t rushing into Season 2.
Instead, we’re allowing ourselves time to reflect, to listen, and to ask what this podcast is becoming. That feels like its own spiritual practice. Weʻre holding what we have created with open hands, trusting that pausing and listening are a part of the creative flow.
Perhaps that’s the invitation for many of us when we sense something ending.
Before asking, “What’s next?”
Maybe we first ask, “What is ending?”
And, “How might I honor it?”
Find some quiet time. Take a journal, or simply sit somewhere you can breathe. Reflect on these questions:
What season is coming to an end in my life?
What am I grateful for?
What feels unfinished or unresolved?
What am I grieving?
What do I want to carry with me into the next season?
What do I need to leave behind?
Do this at a pace and depth that feels good for you. No need to rush to answers. Sit with the questions for as long as you need.
If you’ve been listening to The Serene-ish Podcast, thank you for sharing this first season with Brenda and me. Our final episode, which will be released on Wednesday, July 29th, is a conversation about exactly this—reflecting on what we’ve learned, celebrating what has been, and holding the future with open hands.
Whether you’ve listened to every episode or are just discovering the podcast, I hope you’ll join us for the Season 1 finale. We're taking a short pause before Season 2, and will be back in the fall.
What is one ending you’re being invited to honor right now? I’d love to hear your reflections in the comments or in a reply via email.
As always, I am here alongside you, sitting with these questions in my own endings. I am a fellow seeker, explorer, and practitioner of everything I share here.
Larissa
For more ways to connect with me:
Hosting a Faith Leaders Soul Care Circle on August 17, 2026 at 11am-12pm Hawaii Time. Open to pastors, clergy, ministry leaders, spiritual directors, and others serving in faith and care work.
Spiritual Direction, Enneagram Coaching, and Soul Care: larissamarks.com
My monthly newsletter with simple soul care practices and support in your faith journey: Notes From Larissa
Instagram: @larissalmarks
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.