Like wind, all things refuse to stay.
No lasting place is here;
All rosy cheeks will fade away,
Each smile – and every tear.
*
Why then be full of sorrow.
Distress and harm don’t last;
Like leaves, they’re gone tomorrow –
Time and man are soon past.
*
All vanishes away – away!
Your youth, your hope, and your friend.
Like wind, all things refuse to stay.
Never to return, only to end!
Hans Christian Andersen
Frisenborg, August 23rd 1868.
When people think about H.C. Andersen, tales like “The little Mermaid” or “The ugly duckling” come to mind… Most people don’t know that the Danish writer composed a lot of poetry, along his many travels. I couldn’t blame anyone for that, I didn’t know myself, when I first entered the H.C. Andersen Museum’s doors.
Although usually associated to his fairy tales, Mr Andersen had a somewhat somber and tortured soul. I’d like to write more about him, but I fear I wouldn’t do him justice, although I spent two visits, and several hours in the great museum, in Odense, Denmark.
I got the feel of a man pursuing love and trying to escape from his fears. The very tall, awkward-looking man couldn’t go anywhere unnoticed, yet he was lonely most of his life. If I had a time traveling machine, I’d like to get to meet him. I am guessing he wasn’t easy to hang around with, but the man intrigues me nonetheless.
The above poem really speaks to me.
At a young age, I learnt how to move on… My family moved from city to city almost yearly, and keeping in touch with friends wasn’t an easy thing, especially back when things like Facebook didn’t exist. Letting go and moving on allowed me to make some place for new faces. I don’t forget people who crossed my path, but if I kept in touch with every kind soul that walked by my side for a while, I wouldn’t have time to “live” anymore.
That’s why I don’t get deeply attached to people. I guess it is just a defensive mechanism, I naturally developped. It happens, sometimes, of course. But it is extremely rare. I wish the people I let myself get attached to knew how special that is to me… I can’t tell them, because it would sound as if I said “look how lucky you are!” Which would sound kind of cocky.
I hope they knew, though… Because in my life, like wind, all things refuse to stay. Never to return, only to end! And that makes these people special… Not me.
Cyranny's Cove 
I get attached sometimes and then those relationships drift away.
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Losing people I let myself getting genuinely attached to is absolutely horrible for me. I get totally heartbroken. So, in general, I make friends, and enjoy the time spent together… But I keep in mind that life goes on, when our journey no longer follow the same path….
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As you get older it happens more and more that friends from your youth have little in common with you as a older person.
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I don’t have any contact with people I knew as a kid, except for my family, of course… The only friend I’ve had through the years is my bestfriend…. But I totally get what you mean!
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I think it’s extremely rare to have a friend ‘forever’. People change… or grow distant (literally and figuratively)… or they get caught up in their lives in different ways. I think it’s meant to be that way. Maybe that’s a bleak way to look at it, but I think it’s reality. Offline, I don’t have anyone… but I used to have friends. Things change. I guess right now, I’m “between friends”. Of course, that assumes I’ll ever have another. Maybe someday.
Online it’s different… but people drift here, too. It’s sad but it happens. When I click with someone (and they click with me… has to go both ways), I feel very close to them… and I always have fear and worry associated with that… because I feel that the end is inevitable. It would be nice if that wasn’t always the case… because I fall apart…
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I only have one friend I’ve never lost touch with, and it is my best friend of the last 30 years. I feel pretty confident that we should stick together for a couple more…
I am sure you will connect with people sooner or later, in “real” life. In the meanwhile, we are here for you, Gorgeous 🙂 And glad to be! xx
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You’re very lucky to have a friend like that… for so many years. It has been a long time since I had a “real” life friend who I felt close to.
And thank you for being such a good friend. ♥
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wow I had no idea about his poetry, and what a magical one to share thanks!
If we remember that all things are temporary we learn to love more unconditionally … attachment can be unhealthy. Loving someone unconditionally means letting them go when circumstances change 🙂
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Glad to make you discover this side of the great man he was 🙂 His poetry was much darker than what we know of his fairy tales, but it is beautiful…
You are absolutely right about attachment… I have learnt at a young age to enjoy the relationship I have with people on a daily basis, and not expect them to be there the next day. But it implies that I don’t totally open up.
And every once in a blue moon, someone walks into my life, and makes me believe they will last… Luckily, it happens less and less often as I grow older.
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Awww, you’re too kind!! I am the lucky one to know such kind people as you are 😉
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