"One day, whether you are 14, 28, or 65 you will stumble upon someone who will start a fire in you that cannot die. However, the saddest, and most awful truth you will ever come to find- is they are not always with whom we spend our lives." -Unknown
This has been my favorite quote for a long time because it speaks to something that I've experienced first hand. I believe wholeheartedly that sometimes God places people in our lives at just the right moment, but that doesn't always mean they are there to stay. This can be so hard to come to terms with because we want to hold onto the good things that come our way.
For me, this person was someone who saw the absolute worst in me. They saw me at my weakest, broken down and hopeless. They were there in a way that nobody else had ever been or has ever been since, and it changed my life for the better. They saw the ugliness that was left in me by someone who had hurt me, and they loved me through it. They showed me that I was capable of being whole again. They showed me the grace I wasn't able to show myself. They provided constant encouragement, support, and much-needed laughter. But only for a moment.
At first, the fizzling out of this friendship was devastating. I didn't understand how someone could come in and pick up the broken pieces just to leave again. Eventually, I came to terms with the fact that they were only meant to be there for a moment. It doesn't mean it wasn't real. It doesn't mean that the fire that was started, the healing, wasn't going to continue. It just means that it was time to move forward on my own.
What I didn't realize in that moment, was that I didn't need a new life-long friend right then. I needed someone to help me back up on my feet. When they had served their purpose in my life they chose to move on and so I did too. I assure you we are both happy, we just aren't walking the same path anymore.
It is never easy to have someone make the decision to no longer be a part of your life. We have to remind ourselves that maybe they were only meant to be there for a moment. So cherish that moment, take in every bit of it, but be willing to move forward. Sometimes people that were only there for a moment can impact your life more than people that will be there the whole time, and that's okay.
