We know how to mark beginnings. But when something ends — a marriage, a partnership, an identity we've carried for years — we tend to disappear. A reflection on why separation and divorce deserve the same reverence as beginnings, and what ritual, closure, and community make possible.

Four years ago today, I officiated my very first ceremony for my dear friend Patti and her husband Ron. Since then, I’ve helped hundreds of other people mark their milestones . With each ceremony, I cross my own personal threshold. I’m grateful for this opportunity to keep learning and growing! Here’s to many more!

As humans, we crave meaning, connection and community. Done well, ritual and ceremony offer us all of these, while integrating transition and equipping us for the next stage of our life journey.