Nothing is forever

I have always known that nothing is forever. My expectations were always low, as I thought it was the best way to not get disappointed and hurt. I never thought and therefore hoped to spend my entire life with the same man. I remember shocking all my friends and boys who liked me during my late teenage years, when during those late night talks after the club had closed and we all found ourselves at somebody's house where the parents were absent, we all talked about how we saw our lives when we'd be 30. After they all had described their picture perfect future -which basically consisted on mariage, children, a big house in the suburbs and a dog running in the garden- they all were dumbfounded and speechless when I finished telling them that what I wanted was to have a daughter and raise her on my own. Followed the obvious questions wanting to understand why I thought that way, and the usual attempts to change my position on the issue.

My point of view changed with the years, and in my mid twenties I started to wish I'd find that special someone with whom I'd have a family and attempt to make it work for as long as possible. Mariage was not on the program even then. I still did not believe in it, at least not for me. Maybe because none of the guys I was with ever made me feel completely and utterly safe or that he was worthy of my blind trust.

All this changed when I met M. As naive as it may sound, I really feel like he's The One for me. Suddenly I want the picture perfect illustration I so vividly reprobated (ok, without the house, garden and dog.) And I will go for it if given the chance, and do my best to make it work for as long as possible. But I will never take it as granted and expected it to last forever. Because nothing is forever. And whenever I seem to be forgetting this verity, I get a reality check. In this case, my dear friend K was dumped by the man she loves and with whom she was finally ready to attempt the 'as long as possible.' It happened to her today, and it can happen to any of us any day, any time, so let's just be aware of that fact.