Another school year has begun and senior adults are watching their grandchildren take another step up the education ladder. There is always a mixture

There is always a mixture of fear and thrill when starting something new.

You can see it in a child’s face who is jumping off the high dive for the first time.

The thrill comes from the hope that a new beginning will make things better and life more exciting.

The fear comes from knowing there is a risk factor involved and failure is a possibility.

Thrill says, “Take the risk, go for it!”

Fear says, “Play it safe, don’t do it!”

Even as seasoned citizens, our lives are filled with new beginnings.

The doctor’s orders to give up sugar and fried foods is not an ending — it’s a new beginning of better health.

Wanting to stop watching TV all day is not an ending — it’s a new beginning for such things as learning a foreign language or taking up pickleball.

Retiring from a life-long career that has provided financial security is not an ending — it’s a new beginning of completing your bucket list.

The mix of fear and thrill is still there, but fear can be the dominant emotion as we age.

Some say that older folks just can’t accept change; they are too set in their ways and maybe stubborn.

The truth is that senior adults are not afraid of change.

They have experienced more change in their lifetimes than probably any generation in history.

But they can be afraid of the unknown.

They may have lost the self-confidence and determination they once had in abundance.

This is where group dynamics come into play in a big way.

Oftentimes, senior adults just need cheerleaders and encouragers to help them face the unknown future.

But the single greatest source of strength to help you with new beginnings can be found in this phrase:

“I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.”

If you don’t know Who that might be, your greatest new beginning is waiting for you.

Next week: Reminisce