They happen all the time. In some ways, beginnings are harder than endings because there is so much unknown.
Beginnings can be really scary, but they hold so much potential.
Part of making the beginning of a journey meaningful is looking back on where we have been, and what we have done. This is what we are asked for on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The whole process of repentance is not simply looking back at the year that has passed and saying, Gosh, I really should have not done that, or I should have done that differently, and yes, we look back at our relationships, our commitments to school, friends, family, etc. After seeing where we have been and what we have done, we are forced to make peace with it. After all, what happened, happened.