The last time you met up with friends did you take a group selfie? As human beings we like to hold onto happy moments. I know some of us old romantics have a box filled with old knick-knacks, old tickets, postcards, albums. With the pandemic still in the air (quite literally) there’s something reassuring about these things.
In my box I’ve got a stack of very odd letters. They’re handwritten letters given to me by somebody I would see near enough every single day. There is something odd and rather sweet about being given letters by someone you’re stood right next to. Though the more I’ve thought about it the more sense it makes,; I guess even when we are happiest we know moments are not forever, and as soft human things we try our best to make them last.
Life is not forever and that’s why we try so hard to hold on.
Though there is a beauty in letting go, if instead of choreographing the photo we spent time just being present, we might get a little more joy out of life. But more than that, if instead of holding on to memories we spent time thinking of how we can give. How we can give kindest, comfort, love in ways that keep giving even when we’re not there.
My freind gave me beautiful letters which will stay with me, filled with advice, moral support and observations about the world. Imagine what you can give? Imagine who you can help? Imagine you’re the butterfly and the whole world can change on the back of your wing.
𝐵𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡; 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒.
‘𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑠, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒.’
– 𝐸𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝐻𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑤𝑎𝑦
‘𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒: 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒, 𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚.’
-𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑡 𝑀𝑢ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑑 (𝑝𝑏𝑢ℎ)
Courtesy of @rhylreminders