Leaving Home, Carrying Weight: Honouring the Endings
Because every beginning deserves space for what came before.
Honouring the Endings
Transitions mark us. They can be thrilling, terrifying, and often, quietly heavy. Over the years, I’ve watched so many people—young and old—step into new chapters without anyone to witness what they were leaving behind. The endings go unhonoured, and the weight of that absence lingers.
For teens leaving home for the first time—heading to university, training programs, or other independent paths—the excitement of a “fresh start” often comes with an unexpected burden. Challenges from home, pressures to perform, and the responsibility of managing life on their own can follow them into this new chapter. Many carry anxiety, self-doubt, and a sense of “something is wrong with me” when what should feel like freedom feels heavy instead.
When I coached with Team Canada, I often saw athletes judged for not eating “well enough” or struggling with routines most adults take for granted—cooking, balancing time, caring for themselves. Many had never lived alone. For student-athletes—and really, for all students—this adds layers: maintaining grades, performing under pressure, and navigating independence simultaneously can feel isolating, overwhelming, and silent.
Sitting with young people navigating these moments reminds me of the adults I’ve worked with who never had this support—who had to carry the weight of transitions alone. These experiences shape us, often in ways we don’t fully recognize until years later.
John O’Donohue writes: “Every ending brings a new beginning. Yet we cannot move into the new without reverence for the old.”
This is why honoring thresholds matters to me. Not to cling to the past, but to give ourselves the chance to witness, process, and carry forward with awareness. For many of us, we never had it—so why on earth would we have the foresight to do this for our children?
A Tool for Teens in Transition: Shift Now
Over the summer, I have been sitting with this more. While Shift Change is anonymous, I am being called to bring an in-person gathering to the city—a place where transitions can be honoured. As I have sat with some of my teens who are transitioning and created a ceremony for them, I feel that many of us need this. The vision is not fully formed, but when it is, you will be the first to know.
Shift Now is a tool that my teen clients get to take with them. A space to log in when it all begins to feel too much. A few months back we started to integrate this into their transition plan. Many share how it has been a key piece of support they know they need. If you know a teen in transition, we would love for you to share this with them. May they be gifted with a resource to support them.
It gives us the grounding, the awareness, and the courage to step forward even when it's hard. To be reminded that if we can learn to find our feet, the power in that becomes unshakable.
SHIFT Now Session Times Are Live!
Whether you are a teen, a parent, or an adult navigating your own transition, our updated session calendar has space for you. From Shift Now resets to Shift Quick recalibrations and Shift Often rhythms, there is room to pause, reflect, and move forward.
SHIFT Now Session Times:
Mondays - 12pm PST
Tuesdays - 9am & 12pm PST
Wednesdays - 11am PST
Thursdays - 11am & 12pm PST
August Giveaway: Share Your Experience
We want to hear from you. If you’ve attended a Shift Change session, your voice matters — and sharing your story could help someone else find the courage to take their first step.
As a thank you, we’re offering a giveaway for the month of August!
By completing this survey and sharing your testimonial, you’ll be entered to win a free Shift Now session. Please note, while this survey is anonymous, please note your name in the testimonial box to be entered into the giveaway.
Journal Prompt
Think about a transition you’re in right now — or one you’ve lived through in the past. What did you have to leave behind in order to step into the new chapter? What part of that ending deserves to be honoured, even if no one else witnessed it?
Words of the Week to Carry With You
“Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is simply to pause at the threshold, acknowledge what we are leaving, and trust that we are strong enough to step into what comes next.”
From my heart to yours,
Kara Kalin & The Shift Change Team