Change is hard. Starting over can feel impossible. However, nothing new can come from remaining where we are in fear of where we are going.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to revisit the elementary school I taught at eleven years ago. The school is beautifully renewed with renovations, and most of the names on classroom doors are now strangers.

As I walked out of that building, I got to thinking about old hallways. The paths we walked a hundred times over that are now erased with fresh linoleum and wax. Though it seems as if everything is different, when I stand still and take a breath, I can still hear the whispers of my footprints.

It is as if I can see myself rushing from one room to another, caught up in the chaos of the day. I can hear the voices of colleagues and feel the impact of our time together in my gut. I can hear the remnants of laughter between old friends and all the things I thought I knew at the time.

I envision my 22-year-old self walking into that school with my whole life ahead of me. Wondering what that version of me would think if I told her what education would be like more than 20 years later and who I would become. How much I would miss the people who came in and out of my life to shape the person I am today.

Walking back in time, the rooms that now hold new voices and beginnings go quiet. Faces fade, voices go silent, and it is as if I can open those doors and see my friends frozen in time at their desks. I remember talks of marrying my boyfriend, who is now my husband of 18 years. I remember spilling the beans when I found out I was pregnant with my first and again with my second. All of my life’s greatest moments are intertwined in those bricks and mortar that serve as a time capsule for a life that now seems like an eternity ago.

Lurking down old hallways, you will find memories of when you came up short, times you wish you had done better, and the moments that brought you to your knees. But you cannot stop there; you must also walk by those memories that you are most proud of. Stop by and let your spirit wash over the old faces of friends and mentors that you took for granted but will always be grateful for. Allow yourself to be in awe of the beauty of coincidence that led you from one hallway to the next, bringing you to the version of yourself you are today.

Every year I watch colleagues move from the hallways of our school to the doors of new opportunities. I see in them the same feelings I felt. They are excited for what is next ,while managing the fear of the unknown. Sentiments of good riddance turn to a softened affection as they realize they’ve been standing still in space and time, forgetting to look around and digest the day-to-day with all its messy goodness. They part with the comfort of familiarity that was like a second home and brace themselves for the shock that will come from starting again.

Wherever you find yourself in life, take a moment to pause. Look back not to ruminate, but to appreciate. Every now and again, glance down that old hallway and say thank you. It was never an accident that life gave you the gift of those years and the lessons you needed to grow. It was in those halls you gained the pieces of yourself that were necessary to open that next door.