We who choose to surround ourselves_x000D_ with lives even more temporary than our_x000D_ own, live within a fragile circle;_x000D_ easily and often breached._x000D_ Unable to accept its awful gaps,_x000D_ we would still live no other way._x000D_ We cherish memory as the only_x000D_ certain immortality, never fully_x000D_ understanding the necessary plan.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the transient nature of life and our relationships, highlighting the fragility of existence.
Irving Townsend's quote emphasizes the impermanence of life and the fragility of the bonds we form with others. By choosing to engage in relationships that are inherently temporary, we acknowledge the pain of loss and the inevitability of change. Despite this, we cherish the memories created during these fleeting moments, finding comfort in the idea that while life is fragile and filled with gaps, it is a way of living that we embrace wholeheartedly.
In practice
During a talk on the importance of cherishing our loved ones, I shared this quote to emphasize the fleeting nature of life.
Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be resown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a wornout coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another.
(on grief) And you do come out of it, that’s true. After a year, after five. But you don’t come out of it like a train coming out of a tunnel, bursting through the downs into sunshine and that swift, rattling descent to the Channel; you come out of it as a gull comes out of an oil-slick. You are tarred and feathered for life.
When we were walking through the narrow alleys [of the Mathare Valley slums], it was literally impossible not to step in the raw sewage and the garbage alongside the little homes. But at the same time it was also impossible not to see the human vitality, the aspiration and the ambition of the people who live there.
I had wanted life not to bother me too much, and had succeeded - and how pitiful that was.
Since grief only aggravates your loss, grieve not for what is past.
Don't sit and wait. Get out there, feel life. Touch the sun, and immerse in the sea.
Life is obstinate and clings closest where it is most hated.
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