With every goodbye you learn
I am not one to get all lovey-mushy on St. Valentine’s Day. But it is a day that comes round every year and with it comes the consumer hype of all things red, white and fluffy. Not exactly the epitome of love. I can’t quite fathom why so many people buy into it either – it’s not much more than a sales-pitch day for Cardies when you think about it. So instead my contribution is a poem that my mother passed on to me some years ago. This poem shaped my views on love in many ways.
After a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t mean security
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up
and your eyes open, with the grace of a woman
not the grief of a child
And you learn to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground in too uncertain,
for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight
After a while, you learn that even sunshine burns if you ask too much
So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that you really can endure,
that you really are strong and you really do have worth
With every goodbye… you learn…
~ Author unknown