We always expect the ones closest to us to love us dearly. But what if, God forbid, someone we loved failed us. A father who abandoned your family, even before you could comprehend the meaning of family. A mother who you lost to an addiction. A brother whom you fought the hardest battle of your life with.

How long should you hold onto a grudge? How much time is long enough before you let go?

Those that have left us, who have moved on, when do learn to unlove them? Just how long must a heartache be held? There is no deeper loss than a loved one leaving you. There is maybe. And that is the loss of a loved one choosing to leave you.

But sometimes, memory loss is a beautiful thing. And we must, after months and years of despair, train our hearts to forgive. Because it is only then that we are truly free.

You know how much you love someone by how long it takes to delete their text messages.

It is true that only your loved ones can hurt you the most. Anger, jealousy and seeking revenge can lead even your loved ones to block you and delete you from their lives. It’s the price they have to pay for their selfishness. As family is about unconditional love and not thinking only about yourself. No wonder we have so many broken families due to one person in the family. Just saying sorry could have made things normal as if nothing happened. Ego is a bad thing and it can make you a different person altogether. Sharing makes us feel lighter and buoyant. Love is all about sharing and if we think that love is not present anymore it is better to leave.

The unsung heroes are simply sometimes the one who stayed. A grandparent, looking after a grandchild when both it’s parents were at war with one another. For those who have grown up incomplete, with even a tiny part of a family puzzle missing, life can be hard. But then there are friends, who care for us like the closest family member, a dog, who loves us back like maybe a dozen children would.

Life goes on!