At 27, I’m beginning to recognize and accept the transience of human relationships.
Some connections are a spark. Momentary, instantaneous, bright, beautiful, and flickers out as soon as it came. Those are the chance encounters with special strangers who touch your life in some profound way. These are the short-term lovers, the untouchable talents who grace you with their gift, the homeless man on the street who enlightened you with wisdom born of profound human suffering. The encounter was brief, but worth it, and you will remember it forever.
Some connections are a warm, burning ember. It burns throughout the night, neither hot nor cold but comfortably warm to the touch. You stoke it every now and then to keep it alive, and it’s not hot enough to cook a meal, but it’s steady and slow-burning, reliable. These are your loose connections. Your acquaintances who send you a birthday wish every year. Your mentors who you don’t speak to every day, but are always there if you need guidance. Your neighbor who waves hello to you on your morning stroll. These connections are pleasant and give your life a splash of color, a flicker of predictability. You don’t need them to survive, but it’s nice when they are there.
Some connections are a red hot blaze that burns forever. You barely touch it, barely fan it, it just keeps on burning, by spontaneous combustion. These are the rare ones. They are your blood and chosen family, your mom and dad, your children, your life partner. You feel the heat wherever you go in the world. You can be an ocean apart from it and return to your home base knowing the fire will keep on burning bright, and it will keep you alive. These are the gems that come into your life by God’s will. Lose the fire by a freak of nature, and you will feel cold to the bone. Your own body heat and prana, life force energy, will keep you alive for a time. The Sun, which is God, will keep taking care of you. You will survive. But oh, how you miss this fire so… in its absence, you feel so cold. It’s so dark that for a time, you can’t see anything, you’re just fumbling in the blackness, too afraid to take a step forward. But slowly, your eyes will adjust to the dimness of your new existence, and with Herculean effort, infinite strength, and divine intervention, you find your way to another one of these special fires. And this next fire will burn bright again, and you will feel the heat once more, in a different yet familiar way.
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