Not Mine to Keep, but Mine to Cherish

Like a fragile glass it is how I perceive the things I hold, not as my own skin but as delicate blessings resting quietly in my open hands as I surrender,
Like a fragile glass it is how I need to remember every bit of object, every bit of promise, every season that feels so solid today but could slip and shatter tomorrow,
But like fragile glass it also asks me, if I had known from the beginning that this could break or disappear at any moment, would I cling to it with fear or love or more gently while it’s here?
Like a fragile glass, I understand that I can cherish what I love with care and still accept that if it falls, I am not the one who has broken it…

Flesh and blood lie beneath every hug, every shared meal, and every late-night conversation that I keep assuming will recur endlessly,
Flesh and blood, from the quiet whisper I avoid, reminds me that this person I adore is not a permanent part in my life but a fleeting soul passing through,
My own flesh and blood asks me, if I stopped pretending that we are invincible, would I be able to waste less time, speak softer, and say what I need to say now?,
And from my own flesh and blood tells me too, I can love you more honestly when I remember you are not something I own but someone I am allowed to cherish for a while…

Borrowed loved ones are the ones I return home to, engage in conversations with, engage in conflicts with, and rely on, without fully realizing how truly indebted I am to them in my heart,
Borrowed loved ones remind me that every goodbye might one day become just the last ordinary moment, the one I never thought to honor because it seemed so ordinary,
But borrowed loved ones also ask me this, if today was secretly that last ordinary moment, would I still scroll past their voice, rush through their random stories, or ignore the tired eyes that seem to appear?,
And my borrowed loved ones tell me that I can begin treating simple days as treasures instead of assuming that I will always have another chance to be kinder…

Cherished ones compel me to realize that my deepest fear is not only that they might disappear, but that I lived alongside them in a state of half-consciousness while they were still present,
Cherished ones reveal how easily I slip into autopilot, promising myself that I’ll be more present “later,” as if later is some guaranteed destination that patiently awaits me,
But cherished ones often ask me why I still continue to behave as if time owes me more moments with the same people, knowing deep down that nothing is guaranteed,
And these cherished ones tell me that I can begin today by looking them in the eyes, truly seeing through them, and owning this time that truly matters…

Watchwords:
• Everything I touch can crack or leave
• People beside me are not my possessions
• Ordinary days are not actually ordinary
• Pretending we are invincible only numbs me
• I can love more fully by remembering it’s all on loan

Here is Tikatarot, who dares you to answer the question, “Who am I?”..

As and will always be reminding you to dream:
“As you are still the Master of your destiny and the maker of your dreams…”

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