The Mistake Shatters with a Clang

The person who once wept through the night, dissolving into tears, swearing they couldn't live a single day without you—give it time, and you'll see that very person laughing and living blissfully with someone else.

The person who was once so miserable about career, family, and personal life that they decided a thousand times to end it all, preparing to finish their existence—by some twist of fate, that same person might now be past seventy, spending their days laughing and playing with grandchildren in old age.

The friend you consider closest, with whom you share every secret of your life, you'll discover one day has been casually peddling all your confidences to others without a second thought.

The older you get, the longer you live in this world, the more your illusions will shatter. With age, the body may or may not break down, but illusions certainly do!

Those you hold close to your heart as dear ones, you'll see them becoming distant, constantly stabbing you in the back. Those you trust with eyes closed, you'll watch them roll their eyes and break that very trust.

Those who can weep on your chest, sobbing their hearts out—in time, you'll find they're the very reason you lie awake many sleepless nights, crying your eyes out.

These stark realities you'll witness as you age—this is the curse of living too long, this is the punishment of a lengthy lifespan.

Yet life goes on, people continue to live; though in this flow, some will get caught in time's current, while others, bearing blow after blow, will drift far away like the tributaries of some nameless river.