Day Ten: Unbreakable Bonds

Pinky Swear: most binding contract in the Universe

Most people we meet are just passing through, the road they're on bisecting ours at miscellaneous points along the way. Their purpose in our lives varies from teaching us a lesson, to offering encouragement at a place when we need it in order to keep going (we do this for them, too). Sometimes these people serve as examples of what we don't want for ourselves, or don't wish to become, their attitudes and behaviors a bright beacon of "What Not To Do". The value of such encounters is not diminished by their brevity, as I believe everything and everyone happens to us for a reason, an important one that usually we can ascertain if we are paying close attention (although often we are not due to the noise of our everyday lives buzzing so loud it drowns out our ability to be quiet and reflect on such things).

The most significant bonds, however, are the ones forged in fire, tempered, shaped and honed by love. Best friends, soulmates, close family, bands of brothers/sisters (i.e. on the battlefield) are perfect examples of this. These bonds wrap around us like strong roots beneath the earth and hold tight, their strength not diminished by time and space. These are the bonds that anchor us to who we are, balance us when the world tilts helter skelter and threatens to throw us off unceremoniously. In times of crisis, these are the relationships I white-knuckle tightly, knowing they will keep me safe through any storm. Today, as the names of people I have unbreakable bonds with come to mind, I am happy that just the image of their faces is enough to make me smile. I am equally happy for the random kindness of strangers, which always seems to come precisely when I need it. Guess that makes those encounters not so random after all!

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