Comings & Goings

People are strange.

Sometimes, the people you think are the biggest flakes turn out to be your strongest supporters. Sometimes your strongest supporters leave you in the dust without a word or an explanation. Sometimes, the ones we love the most break our hearts beyond repair.

I’ve had a lot of people come & go from my life. Sometimes I’m glad when they leave. Other times, I’m devastated. The demise of my marriage has left me conflicted. Sometimes I reach out so the marriage can be saved, only for more insults to be hurled at me & I’m left angry again.

When people leave your life, it helps remind us to appreciate those who are still there in the trenches fighting the fight known as life with us. So often we forget who was there from the beginning, who saw us through break-ups, breakdowns, death, taxes & the gym. Then we walk away from those people without a word because someone or something new came along & we forget those acts of kindness. However, when the hurt returns (as pain is a part of life), they’ll want those people back, even though they so easily abandoned you.

Romantic relationships are never permanent. At the risk of sounding like a cynic, between, death, divorce, et al, eventually you will be without your partner. That’s when you’ll want to reconnect with those you walked away from only to see they’ve moved on. Maybe a select few will welcome you home, but not all. The hurt of being forgotten is a hard one to heal.

So cherish those who stick by you when times get tough. Remember their faces & their names. Remember what they’ve done for you, laughed with you & held your hand while you cried. Then never let them go because when all is said & done, those are the people you’re going to want to help you face the days.

For those of you who listen to my craziness, the tears, laugh with me & have chosen to share in the lives my children & myself, thanks for sticking around.