“Fireworks had for her a direct and magical appeal. Their attraction was more complex than that of any other form of art. They had pattern and sequence, color and sound, brilliance and mobility; they had suspense, surprise, and a faint hint of danger; above all, they had the supreme quality of transience, which puts the keenest edge on beauty and makes it touch some spring in the heart which more enduring excellences cannot reach.” ~Jan Struther

Dear Universe,

I was thinking the other day how people, like fireworks, can burst into our lives, lighting up our skies.

And when they do, it’s truly a magnificent sight. The intensity of their presence is all consuming and often takes our breath away.

I can recall a dozen or so examples of old friends, former love interests or even past colleagues that came into my life in the strangest or most vivid of circumstances, and I instantly knew that each of them would be significant somehow.

There was the guy who yelled out to my friend, as he and I were about to get in a taxi in Boston, and came running over to us. The second we were introduced and shook hands, I immediately knew he would become important to me.

He did.

There was a colleague, which on our very first meeting, we got stuck slammed next to each other in a restaurant booth for three consecutive hours.

I left with my blood pressure raised, feeling completely annoyed by him, but also having the knowing he would become an important presence in my life.

He did.

There was a fellow classmate who struck up a conversation one day after class about a piece of my writing and there it was again—the feeling that she and I were meant to know each other, that there was a reason we met.

There was.

I could go on and on. Meet person. Cue in inner recognition or knowing. Become inextricably connected.

But like fireworks, people can leave just as quickly as they came, with only smoke and memories in their place.

Of all of the people I just mentioned, not a single one is still in my life.

But their presence persists. They come to me through songs, movies, places and pictures. The memories resurface, tapping me on the shoulder as if to say, “Hey, remember me?”

Even though these people weren’t meant to be a forever presence, there’s no doubt that they served a very important purpose in my life.

I imagine it like this: It’s as if some people are part of a relay race of your life. One comes, runs with you for a while, until dropping you off at the next checkpoint, and passing the baton to a new person.

Each of these people has an important lesson to teach, and it’s only when we understand it, that we are able to keep moving forward on our path.

Of course, some people on our journey are meant to stay forever. They are part of our soul tribe. But the fleeting souls, the ones that come and go, can be just as essential.

Looking back now, I can precisely pinpoint each of the lessons these special people brought me.

And just like I remember the moments these people burst into my life, I can also remember our last encounters. A phone call, a text message and an email.

We never know how long the fireworks will last. In fact, we usually don’t know if someone is simply a spark, a quick firework, a candle or an eternal flame.

Because at one point, I thought all those people would be forever people in my life.

When I think about the disconnect now, it doesn’t make me sad. It makes me grateful for the gifts they gave me—and that I hopefully gave in return.

It makes me grateful that my intuition is typically right and clues me in to the people who I’m meant to connect with.

There are some people you don’t ever want to lose; you want them to forever be a part of your journey.

And there are others we are meant to lose, to release, to let go of.

The point is to recognize the difference. Know who to let go of, and who to hold onto. Know when someone is a life lesson and when someone is a lifetime person.

Don’t mistake a sparkler for a flame. And don’t mistake a flame for a sparkler.

Trust you know the difference. Trust you know whom you need to keep in your life and whom you need to release.

When it’s time to release, do so with gratitude for the encounter. Give thanks for the growth and lessons the relationship brought you.

Treasure everyone you connect with, but for the ones you love deeply, the ones you don’t ever want to lose, the ones your soul connects with on a deeper level—the forever people—hold onto them with appreciation, grace, and gratitude. Let them know how much they mean to you.

Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. The only time we have is now.

Because life, like fireworks, is fleeting.

We never know how long the show is.

With Gratitude,