This year started well for me. And, I started this month drunk in love. Writing about love, singing about it, dancing with it. I proclaimed it from the roof tops. I felt transported in the wings of a feeling of love so intense, it filled my lungs with joy. My eyes would occasionally brim with tears of thankfulness for the ability to feel so much and to know so much love. 

My love-drunken state has not improved. I am still not sober and, this evening, it still feels like I am floating.

However as I write this, I am wondering about the ones who walked away. The ones who found it easy to believe terrible things about me and then to spread it.

I am wondering about the ones who cut me off and smeared the memory of me.

My head is wondering about the ones who let themselves be convinced by mistakes, misunderstandings and misinterpretation of my actions.

Remembering the ones who saw my weaknesses and dwelt there.

I am wondering about the ones who saw the chink in my armour and magnified it.

I am wondering about the ones who judge me harshly.

You see, it really doesn’t bother me that they chose that path because I understand and respect seasons and times.

I reckon that maybe my work or their work was done. I understand and respect perspectives and people’s right to their own. And I have long come to that place of understanding where I know that people will come and go. And I will remain. 

Today, I am just wondering how this dance will continue and it is making me resolute that I will enjoy the love of the ones that are still here for as long as they are still here. I am determined, now more than ever, that the people in my life will see all of me as long as they are around. I know I have to keep the spring in my steps, the twinkle in my eyes and love everyone in my life like there is no tomorrow, for maybe, when tomorrow comes, they might not be around. 

You see, in life and love, there will be people who will stay no matter what and there will be people who will walk away, no matter what.

I am almost certain that you too, have known love and have also known some form of abandonment. It is almost guaranteed in life – that there will be people who will stay and the ones who will walk away, sometimes for reasons you would never understand.

Life is after all in seasons.

We must all learn to accept the seasons as they come. All of us must be able to free ourselves and the people in our lives from expectations. We must gift the people in our lives the freedom to stay for as long as they want to and to walk away if they must.

We must learn not to cling, not to things and not to people. Everyone of us must learn to equip the people we love with the crystal understanding that our love is not a chain. They must know that the choice to love us was theirs and if they ever choose to walk away, that we will respect their decision and give them the gift of freedom.

I know that there are times when our hearts ache as we contemplate those who walked away, the ones who left, or as we remember those who treated us not so kindly, but that’s what life is.

Sometimes uncertain. Sometimes kind. And, at other times, unkind.

Constantly changing. Constantly moving.

Life makes few promises and is mostly not fair.

Life tests us. But love equips us to pass all of life’s tests.

Love is given to us freely and so we must be free in our loving and gentle with the expectations we have of love.

Our love must be free. Free of clutter and of need.

It must be free. Of deceit and of snares.

And now, I must ask you to please share with me your take on all this? What do you do when those ones you treasure walk away? How do you find the strength to let go.

#TME