Reason for a season, lifetime

We moved a lot when I was younger. My dad would get transferred to a new province and off we’d go.

I always felt I missed out, because I wasn’t still friends with anyone that I’d gone to elementary school or junior high with.

There wasn’t an internet in those days. Staying in touch required a lot of dedication to writing letters. I was OK at that part, it was buying a stamp and mailing the darn thing that was my major downfall.

Somehow, I embraced the belief that the longer you had been friends with someone, the better your relationship was.

What was wrong with me? Why didn’t I have a friend I’d known since birth?

It wasn’t until I encountered a famous poem by an anonymous writer that I began to see things in a different light.

I’d like to share the poem in case you don’t know it. If you do, then here is a reminder of these wise words.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you figure out which one it is,

You will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,

It is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty;

To provide you with guidance and support;

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

This person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,

Because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;

Things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoyant.

                                                                        — Unknown

I wish I had read this poem much earlier in my life. It would have saved me from a lot of heartache, guilt, and disappointment as people disappeared from my life, or I moved out of theirs.

You don’t have to be connected for a lifetime to be a blessing in another person’s world, or them in yours.

On my way to Gatwick airport a few weeks ago, the direct train I planned on taking was suddenly cancelled just as I boarded it. I had to make my way by a much more arduous path of very busy trains. That is quite a feat when you have a 50-pound suitcase.

On the last leg of this journey, I found myself standing next to a lady who was going home after a weekend in London. We started talking and quickly connected. Our sense of humour and view about life was similar.

She was the highlight of my day, although I am unlikely to ever see her again.

I don’t know what the purpose of our meeting was. Maybe I fulfilled a need in her life. Perhaps other people on the train needed to hear our laughter and be cheered by our energy.

Closing a railway line that passed through such a busy airport caused a massive ripple effect of inconvenience and stress for a lot of people.

During this season of Remembrance Day and holiday gatherings, you may find yourself thinking about the people you know, once knew, or have heard about.

Take some time to think about the blessings and lessons they have provided. Perhaps they continue to guide and teach you.

Accept that not everyone is meant to be in your life forever; some are only here for a reason or a season.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.