and just like that,
an era is over.
you don’t know when the last time you will ever speak to someone is, the last time you’ll see their face. they meant something to you, and their impact on a specific time in your life is undeniable.
when I think of certain years, I think of certain people; best friends or even lovers and crushes who defined the moment, who shaped my reality.
songs they showed me still surface when I shuffle my music.
photos and screenshots of conversations are buried deep in my camera roll, like looking into the past through a little cottage window.
and to be frank, not every person is remembered with rose colored glasses. some are remembered for their lack of grace in the relationship, for the comments they made that didn’t sit right or the actions that proved to be less than empathetic.
but then of course, there are those who are remembered with a fierce fondness. those who couldn’t have been replaced, for so much of them shaped who I was when we were close. I visit these memories and dance along these timelines, thinking of the good fortune I’ve had in relationships, most specifically friendships.
I think a lot of my life and my path are defined by these connections, these soul-altering meetings. Luckily, too, there usually are new loves just around the corner. I live for my people; for harmony & closeness & laughter & wrinkles & inside jokes & little favors & big gestures.
It doesn’t matter that bonds eb and flow, or fade and glow.
What matters is that I get to experience these friendships deeply, and that they shape my soul for the better.