Sunday, June 14, 2015

Fluid

I went swimming at a friend's house recently. It had been a while since I had so much skin bare in the sunlight, and though I carry sunscreen with me everywhere, I forgot to put it on my back.

The water was amazing. It embraced me, welcomed me back like a long-lost lover, supported me as I moved through it for hours and hours.

That night, though, I paid for my lack of forethought with a sunburn so severe and painful that lifting my arms over my head brought tears to my eyes. The brush of my hair across my shoulders made me whisper "fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck" as though being burned with a hot iron. Days later, the pain persists and makes me regret my foolhardiness.

Pondering it all made me think of how relationships are similarly fluid. They change and move and what may seem a tiny oversight can lead to huge mishaps.

Friends, lovers, family, people themselves are fluid. If we don't make an effort to keep up with the changes, apply our protections and keep swimming, we can drown or burn. No one is carved in stone, no one stays the same throughout their lives.

Sometimes it may seem like a lot of work, and sometimes it may well be too much work and we may have to let a relationship go or suffer burns over and over and over again.

Most of the time, though, the rewards are worth the work, and the painful reminders when we forgot to put in the labor still don't make the relationship one we should ditch altogether. We just need to be more careful next time.

Now and then it just pays to remind ourselves that time only flows the one way, and the moments spent we can never get back. Best to spend them wisely.

What's your favorite wise way to spend your moments?

5 comments:

  1. I agree, and it is so worth it to keep trying, we have had a great time lately, DH and I.
    Our favorite way to spend time together is of course just being together, but I am really starting to look forward to going to our annual family gathering, since we will be swimming there. We love being in the water together. :D

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    1. So lovely to hear when couples are enjoying themselves together. It's an oddly rare thing, I've found.

      Swimming is definitely a worthwhile way to spend your moments! I greatly look forward to gatherings too, though there is rarely swimming involved.

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  2. This is very thoughtful, and for me pertinent in the place I am recently. I think I need to be more 'present' not always on my phone or computer. Thanks, so sorry about the burn. I have had sun poisoning a few times! Ouch.

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  3. My favorite wise way to spend my moments....family vacation time. We purposefully carve out (even if just a few days) time to go away and enjoy each other. I NEVER want to be the one to say "I haven't been on a vacation in ___ years!" I love to unplug and just BE.

    Great question Conina! Hope your sunburn calms down!!

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  4. I'm always so happy when I pop on and see something from you!

    We also love being in the water! I can honestly say we try to have fun and enjoy each other no matter what we are doing. I do love it when he reads to me, or when we binge watch something awesome;)
    ~Love

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Thank you for reading. I hope you'll let me know you were here - I like friends!