after a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and sharing a life. you learn that love doesn't mean possession and company doesn't mean security and loneliness is universal. you learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open. you learn to build your hope on today as the future has a way of falling apart in mid flight. because tomorrow's plans can be too uncertain for plans, yet each step taken in a new direction creates a path toward the promise of a brighter dawn. and you learn that even the sunshine burns if you get too much so you plant your own garden and nourish your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. and you learn that love, true love, always has joys and sorrows, seems ever present, yet is never quite the same, becoming more than love and less than love so difficult to define. and you learn that through it all you really can endure that you really are strong that you do have value and you learn and grow with every good bye you learn.