Evolving Relationships

“We die to each other daily. What we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. And they have changed since then. To pretend that they and we are the same is a useful and convenient social convention which must sometimes be broken. We must also remember that at every meeting we are meeting a stranger.”

For many of you that I have reconnected with on social media, it has been decades since we exchanged a word or shared a moment together in the same time continuum.  However long ago it was, we did share something that brought us together at that particular moment.  A bond was formed…

In many instances that bond was strong and we were able to nurture it and meld it into a cohesive relationship beyond a simple acquaintance.  In others, that bond has dissolved and no longer holds sway, and this, in some ways, saddens me.

I am a changed person since the last time our connection was made, as I am sure you are changed too.  As Eliot’s quote implies, I will be a changed person by the time you complete reading this narrative.

Each moment of this existence has afforded me an opportunity to change; whether it is perceived to be for the better or for the worst, I know not.  The simple truth is that I have changed and I have learned to accept those things that appear different to me with each new revelation.

I feel as though we sometimes cling to the perceptions of old and think that as individuals we still are what we once were.  It is no great revelation that I am not that person you once knew.  It is entirely possible that you may not like who I have become or like my ideas and concepts that have been formulated utilizing my limited perceptions of this world.  One difficult lesson that I continue to wrestle with is that it is OK that we may not share the same ideas or that our persons have become alien to one another.

A credence that I try to embrace is respect for all sentient beings.  It is important to me to always remain respectful to others and to celebrate our individual personal identities.  Although different, each of us deserves nothing less than a thoughtful nurturing respect.

Another aspect of our evolution is the effort to understand others’ perspectives, opinions, conceptions, etc.  However, my human condition limits my capacity to comprehend d all the differing opinions, dogma, rhetoric, conceptions, perceptions and beliefs contained within the social constructs of this humanness.

It has become apparent to me that seeking your forgiveness for my inability to comprehend or share your perceptions of this existence is a hopeful option.  I find it difficult or even impossible to share many of the perceptions others have regarding our human condition.  In many ways forgiveness may be the only saving grace available to us all.

Until we meet again, my dear stranger friends, I hope you have a delightful experience today and every day henceforth.