Jagged Edges

Some things start out fragile as soon as they're made. They require special care and sensitive handling in order to keep them from shattering. With such careful care required, it isn't a surprise that some times this can be too much to ask. Sometimes letting it all fall apart is easier than trying so hard to keep it together. And what happens if it does break? Is it always worth it to try and put each tiny shard back in place? Is the glue strong enough or will the cracks still show? Even if you try your hardest, you cannot fix it if it wants to stay broken.

Sometimes it is better to just let things break. You may find that walking on eggshells and working so hard to keep everything together has just been holding you back and hindering your own happiness. Fragile things can look nice but if you have one in your hands 24/7, you're going to have to miss out on a lot just to keep it safe. You can put it down and keep going with your life but as it collects dust on the shelf you may find that it has grown weaker over time. Perhaps it even shatters under nothing more but the weight of time. There may have been nothing you could have done to prevent it.

At first the broken pieces on the floor may cause you distress. Each little shard threatening to draw blood as you try your best to clean up the mess. Will you try and dedicate so much time and energy to putting it all back together? Or will you take your time to mourn and then put the pieces in the trash? The same amount of time will pass you by whether you make yourself miserable or set yourself free. Was it really all that nice to look at in the first place? It was given to you without your consent or input and you did your best to keep it pristine. But the paint was peeling after the first few years and it had a few chips in it from wear and tear. It seemed destined to break at some point in time, catching you by surprise when it finally shattered. 

Even if you cannot understand what caused it to break the way that it did, you have to admit you're a little relieved. You do not miss it after a few weeks. You even forget it ever existed until someone mentions it or you notice it in the background of an old photograph. It never added much to your life, just another obligation to care for and maintain. Your friends always said it was ugly and made them uncomfortable. Your family didn't understand it but told you there isn't a choice in caring for it. An heirloom you never wanted, a burden you're glad you can forget.

Relationships are fragile things. Sometimes they require more effort than they are worth, even becoming a burden. Despite how hard you may try or how stable you may think it is, even if you tucked it away on a shelf, there is always the risk that it was unstable the entire time just waiting to shatter. Maybe you tried your best to care for it. Maybe you thought it was just fine on its own without checking in on it. Maybe it was volatile the entire time, you were just too desensitized to even notice. No matter what the case is, you don't need to actively harm the relationship for the damage to be done. Unlike inanimate objects, relationships involve two people. Without both of you trying to glue the pieces back together, you're guaranteed to cut yourself on the jagged edges. You cannot fix something if someone is determined to keep it broken.