There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
- William Shakespeare (Julius Caesar, Act 4 Scene 3) -
I lost someone recently.
It wasn't by my choice and there was no discussion, argument or reason of any kind; we were bound together, then not.
I've lost people before; friends and family to death of natural causes, accident and intention and I've lost people who have drifted away for various other reasons. Some have come back (not those who died) but most have not, I guess mainly as I'd moved on and they weren't welcome back due to the changes time brought. It's caused me discomfort, and disappointment though, shaken my trust in others, made me self-reflect and see fault in myself and many other things...but life has moved on even though at times it seemed like the end of all things, so wretched the loss had made me feel.
This time, this loss - I won't go into details as it's private to those concerned - but this time it feels just a little different, like a force, (dare I say it, the universe) has realigned something that had become skewed somehow, warped or off-kilter.
This doesn't mean I feel any better about it - I do not and I feel the loss keenly - however a combination of factors, and that I stepped back far enough to see the bigger picture, has caused me to think more objectively on the situation and to see it from different perspectives.
As humans we are bound to many things; relationships, ideals, emotions, actions, thoughts, pets, routine, habits good and bad, and they can become so intrinsically linked to us as individuals that if torn away can effect us in dramatic and often catastrophic ways - the sudden loss of a close relationship for instance. Like the tide, our lives ebb and flow and sometimes it's powerful enough to break the bonds, the connections we make, and we drift away...but it's still our life, we're still us when drifting, just a different version, and that's important to remember I think.
Having those mooring lines severed, connections unravel, and drifting away from something doesn't mean we need to be aimless and lost even though that's how we often feel; and it doesn't mean we will sink either, although we may. I guess it's important to remember that and to shift one's paradigm, one's thinking, and to look upon the new-found state of being as an opportunity to navigate in new directions towards...who knows what...Maybe something equally valuable and desirable.
Has something in your life drawn to an abrupt close? Was it within or outside of your control? How did you initially feel, how did it effect your thoughts and actions and were you able to turn it to your advantage or not? Don't give away and personal details, but feel free to comment below if you have any thoughts on the topic.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
Any images in this post are my own.