December - All Things End

Good day to you all and a happy December! We’re getting closer and closer to 2024, which is insanely scary (like, how tf did time go by so fast??), but also really really exciting! As you might have noticed, we did not post anything for November, it was just quite a tumultuous time. Among other things, we went to see HOZIER IN VIENNA!!!! Lina and me spent the entire first weekend of December in Vienna, to get into the Christmas mood and, on Sunday night, see Hozier’s “Unreal Unearth”-tour. The whole night was amazing, including the opening band “The Last Dinner Party” (they brought the wildest, most intense energy onto the stage, it was crazy!). And following that, it felt kind of on the nose to pick a Hozier song for the blog post for this month (we’ve actually been planning on doing that ever since August haha).

“All Things End” is (like “Damage Gets Done”, our song for August ;)) a part of the newest Hozier album “Unreal Unearth” and was priorly released in the EP “Eat Your Young”. The obvious match of the title to the end of the year is one thing, but there is so much more to the song than that. Soooo, let’s get started!

 

I remember in August, the very day the Album came out, Lina, my sister and I were on vacation together and I checked out the new releases right after waking up. I’d known the three songs from the EP for a while at that point and I thought to myself, hey why not write about “All Things End” for December, as the year ends and that fits or whatever. And I pitched that idea to Lina and explained the song a little. And she was like nahhh I don’t know about that.

I recall us discussing that further, me trying to convince her that the song has some nice topics to write about and would be a near perfect fit, and her not actually resonating with the song very much. If my mind doesn’t play tricks on me, she even said, that the message ‘oh well we could all be dead tomorrow, but we should still do whatever we like, it shouldn’t stop us from enjoying our life’ actually unsettled and kind of scared her. But we’ve come a long way since then, a few months have passed, she ended up agreeing and here we are! So let’s finally look at those lyrics:

 

And all things end
All that we intend is scrawled in sand
Or slips right through our hands
And just knowing
That everything will end
Should not change our plans
When we begin again

 

Well, I basically just summed this up already, but let me rephrase it a little better and more understandable for everyone. It’s not just about how we could be dead tomorrow and should therefore live our life to the fullest (a reoccurring topic on this blog haha), for me it’s actually more about time and how it passes and as a result of that influences our decisions and the way we live our lives. Sounds a little complicated maybe but let me elaborate.

We know that nothing lasts forever in life, there is not a single thing, that does, and you cannot convince me otherwise. And to understand the song and actually be able to implement its message into your own life, I believe it’s important to learn to be okay with that. It is not a bad thing to see things end. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it is actually for the better, sometimes an end can mean a new beginning. It might even be more of a change than an actual end. But nevertheless, things ending are not inherently negative.

Now that that’s settled, the important question is, what are we going to do with that information? And that my friends, is the key to, uhhh, well technically …life (??) – but let’s just focus on “All Things End” for now. If we knew that we’d only have 3 months left to live, we would naturally want to spend them doing things we love, right? We would want to indulge in things that bring us joy and fulfilment, rather than work ourselves to death or hang with people that make us fell like crap. And I think we should approach life in general similarly. Knowing that things won’t last forever shouldn’t stop us from trying to enjoy them and giving our all, but rather focus on exactly these things.

 

Last summer we went to the UK with the family. My grandma was basically on death’s doorstep already at the time. We went anyway. We knew she would pass in the next few weeks to months. It could have been tomorrow or in two months. But we went ahead and flew to London anyway. Just because we know that something will end (in this case the life of a loved one), we shouldn’t stop living our own lives. I know that, whenever I leave my home for a period of time, one of my cats or even family members (though way less probable) could pass away in the meantime. But I won’t let that possibility dictate my life choices. If it comes down to it, I will have to deal with the situation then anyway, but I refuse to stress out all the time just because something might happen. And I believe that is what we should take away from Hozier’s song. That even though everything will end, we should not change our plans. How uncertain they might be, we should dream anyway!

 

If there was anyone to ever get through this life
With their heart still intact, they didn't do it right

Another beautiful line. And another undeniable truth. To become our own fleshed out individuals, we need to grow. And to grow we need to experience all different stages of life and various different emotions. We need to encounter heartbreaks and hardships and grief, but also recognition for our deeds and fulfilment and content to grow as people. And someone who, out of fear of experiencing pain, does not engage in life like others do, will not develop the same. However, I believe that it is practically impossible to escape heartbreak, grief, and pain. These feelings come in many different situations and look and feel different for everyone, so to never feel heartbreak is, in my opinion, unachievable.

And, just to clarify, I’m not by any means saying, that you should just take whatever hurdles life throws at you and just accept them and suffer in silence. Coping with all of this and working towards a “happier” life is part of that growth that you should experience as a result of difficulties. But set your boundaries and establish what you want and need in your life to live it in a way that serves you and best compliments your passions and joys.

I really hope that last part makes sense at all, I am trying my best to sort my many many messy thoughts here haha.

 

To conclude a text about, let’s be honest here, a topic that has been brought up repeatedly in some way or others on this blog: The important thing in life is, to live it in the best and most fulfilling way possible for you! And no matter what might happen and what might end, nothing should change what you desire for yourself. Even if things aren’t set in stone, but rather scrawled in sand, you have to do what feels best and most beneficial for you as an individual (with a healthy amount of consideration for the wellbeing of the general public please haha)

 

I hope this made you think in some way and I wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful new year 2024, whatever you may have planned <3!!

 

 

Love, Ina

Helloooooo all! :-) Long time no see! But the year isn’t over yet and we’ve got a few more things to say before we go into 2024 <3 We decided to skip November because there was just a buuunch of stuff going on at school and in general. But then December was the best because we started it together in VIENNA at a freaking HOZIER CONCERT which was so so so amazing!! So this brings us to December’s song: “All Things End” by Hozier :-) No better song for the end of another year, huh? This also reminds me: That means 2 YEARS of Thinking Out Loud in January!! Wow <3 And we’ve come so far (in my opinion)! Big big thank you for you being here and reading our posts because that means a lot! 

And now - enough of the rambling, let’s start with the song! Here goes →

 

And all things end

All that we intend is scrawled in sand

Or slips right through our hands

And just knowing

That everything will end

Should not change our plans

When we begin again

 

I don’t know, but something about this song is so comforting. Let me introduce you to a thought I sometimes have… sooo I think of something, I’m not sure about it and my mind goes “is that even worth doing? Because what if it doesn’t work out? What if it’s only good for a couple months and then it’s over? What if that will only hurt me?” I don’t know why that is, but it’s like I’m scared of things ending before they even started and that is so bad!!! Because if that would stop me from trying to do things, that would mean I would just keep doing what I was always doing and that would be SOOOO boring. I mean, yes, with being out there and getting out of your comfort zone there’s always a risk of getting hurt. But there’s also so much possibility. Which leads me to another lyric →

 

If there was anyone to ever get through this life

With their heart still intact, they didn't do it right

 

I am convinced that there is no such person. It’s not possible. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. At the end of our lives, all our hearts are not whole anymore. They’re a little scarred, maybe have some bruises (talking metaphorically obviously) and if we’re lucky, they’re still glowing with happiness & fulfillment in spite of the hurt they’ve experienced. And I believe that that’s how it should be. We need to go through things and also get through the not-so-good parts of life. It’s no use trying to stay on the safe side, trying not to get hurt, because honestly - I think life will always get you. It’ll always bring along some lesson needed to learn - no matter how much a person is trying to protect themselves. And don’t get me wrong! I do think we should protect ourselves - we can’t just let everything happen to us and think “ah yes, that’s how it’s supposed to be, I need to learn either way, it’s okay to get hurt” - because nooo! There’ll always be situations when you’re interacting with another person and you just know it’s not right how things are going, then yes, sometimes you need to kinda withdraw and take your space. I mean it more in the kind of way of not being scared of opportunities because they could bring the outcome of you getting hurt. Does it make any sense what I’m saying? I hope so :)

 

At the end of the song, the chorus is repeated but with a few words added (and you can’t really make them out in the song, only if you listen really closely, but I looked them up on Google): 

 

And all things end (knowing we can always start again)

All that we intend (knowing we have another day)

Is scrawled in sand (knowing we can always start again)

Or slips right through our hands (knowing we have another day)

And just knowing (knowing we can always start again)

That everything will end

Should not change our plans

When we begin again

 

I love it <3 Of course sometimes things will go wrong, there’s no denying that. Nothing is fixated. There could come a wave and wash something away that was “scrawled in the sand”. There’s no stopping the tide from coming in and going out. But that shouldn’t stop you! I don’t know how many of you know Bibi & Tina (hahaha), but there’s this line in one of their movies that “if one door closes, another one opens”. And I mean it’s not only from Bibi & Tina, a lot of people use that phrase. But that’s where I know it from and I still like referring to it xD Basically - things will fail and sometimes it’ll feel unfair and just not okay. But after that, there’ll always be a new possibility. Life will never ever leave you bored, oh no hahaha. What I’m trying to say: 

Don’t be so afraid to let somebody know you like them, don’t be so afraid to start a new job, don’t be so afraid to do something you’ve never done in your life before, don’t be so afraid to go after what’s been on your mind! Obviously, there could always be some kind of drawback about it and that could always keep you from taking the step - but consider this: what if there isn’t? :-)

 

Let me just share one of my all-time favorite quotes with you to finish this off: 

 

“The worst things in the world can happen, but the next day the sun will come up. And you will eat your toast. And you will drink your tea.” 〜Rhian Ellis, After Life

 

Going through my saved quotes I just noticed - so many quotes are in some way about this. All  about seizing the moment. Not being afraid. Going for it. Leaving worries behind. Being brave and straightforward. Well, maybe that should be a thought to have in the back (or rather front! :-) ) of our heads for the new year! <3

Some things have to end to make room for new things. And others will stick around. And that’s how life goes. And that’s just my little conclusion of this jumble of words <3.

 

Thank you so much for reading! I’m so happy you read until the end <3 Here’s to awesome things happening in 2024 and another great, eventful year of Thinking Out Loud together! 

 

Love, Lina ヅ <3

 

 

Sidenote: I just read Ina’s draft and I didn’t remember what she mentioned there until I just read it & now thinking back - weeeeell I’d say the few months from August to December did the job for me in terms of warming up to the song, understanding it better and understanding some of my own thoughts better… ;)<3