Casualties

“Now Woody, he’s been my pal for as long as I can remember. He’s brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he’ll never give up on you… ever. He’ll be there for you, no matter what.”

Sometimes you need to shed things. You need to say goodbye. Push them away, and move on.

If you have a heart, you'll look back on the decision often. You'll wonder if it was right. You will think to yourself, was it necessary to leave that behind? Then you'll consider whether or not you should return to it. You will contemplate using your new found maturity to reincorporate it into your life. But, just the idea will seem insurmountable.

You have grown. You are a different person than you once were. The world is not stagnant. Your growth implies the same in others. Going back would not be a return to what once was, but a rebuilding of something new. However, this reconstruction would begin upon a foundation of past experiences and conflicting perspectives. This is tricky work.

Most of the time, you'll leave it alone. After all, there is a reason why things came to an end. You will think back fondly and long for the memories to be current. You'll regret the negative experiences, and the choices that led to them. Only in rare instances will you stumble upon it once more and honor the past by displaying it, unengaged, on a shelf somewhere. Mostly, you'll continue on becoming newer versions of yourself and leaving the rest behind.

"So long partner."