Surprises

Sometimes it happens that the best things come unexpected. I had a very nice conversation today with a person I hadn't heard from in a while, someone who is very important for me and is a very important part of my life. And it was unexpected, it came from the blue, while I was busy thinking about what to do, just carrying on the little tasks of the day.
Right when things go wrong, when life is biting you in the rear, there you go, something nice happens that brings you back on track and shows you that, after all, things are not as bad as you thought. Perfectly in line with the Holiday spirit.
This person reminded me of things that happened in the past; this person brought back very dear memories, moments that I would never trade back for anything else, random memories such as the sound of a name, the smell of a certain brand of soap, the brightness of a color, the softness of a touch.
And while I was thinking about it, again carrying on the random tasks of the day (namely buying apples at the supermarket), a thought came to me. Relationships can be divided according to the four elements: fire, water, rock and air.
"Air" relationships are the ones that you need in order to learn what love is, the relationships that teach you what it means to be with someone else and to start thinking in terms of 'we' rather than 'me'. Just like we need air to survive, we need 'air' relationships to get started.
"Water" relationships are the ones that are not necessarily needed, but they make you feel better, just like a glass of water on a hot day. They are the relationships that you go through and soon forget, the ones that don't last long, give you pleasure for the time being, and that's it, you move on to something else, just like water flows in a river, it doesn't stop.
"Rock" relationships are the ones that hold you down, the ones that are heavy, in many ways; heavy because they hold you down and don't let you be or do what you want to be or do. Heavy because they sit on your stomach, just like a rock, and even though you feel their presence with all of your being, they don't make you feel as comfortable, it feels like there's something there that is not entirely supposed to be there. Heavy because a rock can be a pretty solid point of reference, and this kind of relationship makes you understand that there are reliable people out there who will never move an inch, they'll always be there for you.
And then there's fire.
"Fire" relationships. The heart-breaking, breath-stopping, mind-numbing, soul-blowing relationships that last the lifetime of a butterfly, but that you never forget; just like a scar when you burn yourself with fire, they are always there, in the back of your mind, to remind you that you are alive, that you can feel the extremes of happiness and pain, joy and sorrow.
I have been burned in the past. And no, I would never trade in those moments, for anything in the world, pain or happiness; they are my most precious memories.
A sparkle was still alive today.
Unexpected.