Real loss. Real love.
High ceilings and bronze chandeliers
Yesterday, I took the day and enveloped myself in it so it could shield me from my fears and insecurities. The day before that, I had to extend grace to the part of me that makes mistakes. To forgive it, for not remembering the name of the handsome waiter I was meeting for the fifth time. Yes, you will be astonished; it is something as mundane as this that I am unwilling to forgive myself for.
Real loss and real love are two of the most powerful experiences that shape our lives. Real loss cuts deep. It’s the kind of pain that feels like a physical ache. Losing someone you love, whether through death, the end of a relationship, or a dream that didn’t pan out, is a gut-wrenching experience that nobody should have to go through. Real loss forces you to confront the fragility of life and the inevitability of change.
On the other hand, real love is a deep and abiding commitment to yourself or another person. In many ways, real love I find is the antidote to real loss. And, as time goes on, the scars from a loss act as a constant reminder of our capacity to be stretched and deeply love. Loss and love give meaning to our lives and I dare say you can’t fully appreciate one without having experienced the other.
