Its not those who promise you forever, its those that stick with you even when forever doesn't come. Its not those who have spent the longest time with you, its those who continue to do so even when you expect them to leave. Its not about how much you give, its about how much you get back in return. Maybe it takes a hard fall to know where you really stand even if you're still lost and bleary. Maybe abandonment exists to remind you how important are those that still hold on and never let go. Maybe it takes some form of betrayal to see who's really loyal to you. Maybe I won't be the same from now, not ever because one can only shatter so many times before the soul is permanently damaged. Maybe you've never faced the same circumstances thrice to feel like all hope is lost, but I have. Because a part of me gets left behind in those old times, the times where I gave unconditionally and without restriction, without fear, and those parts will forever be lost in those that I've handed my trust to but was ultimately, crushed and stepped on.