Lost, Given, and Gift

You Cannot lose what you never really have.

My children, learn this well

Unrequited love

One-sided friendships

Unrealistic expectations

All bring sadness, but you never really lost anything.

False hopes and illusions

Bring bitterness when they crash to earth.

We cling to our own cherished fictions,

To navigate through life holding on to things

That melt like ice in the sun

Leaving a feeling of loss.

And this bitterness is a poison.

But this poison has an antidote:

The answer is to cultivate gratitude

For what you have and hold

And take stock of what you really have

Even if it is transient.

For knowing that a gift is a gift

Is a secret to much happiness.