“My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light.”

That little stanza has been ringing in my spirit ever since I heard it in a recent Netflix movie. Life has a way of reminding us that forever isn’t real. People, relationships, seasons—none of them are guaranteed to last forever. And that’s okay.

We spend so much of our lives trying to stretch moments out, hold onto people longer than we should, or force “forever” into spaces that were only meant to be temporary. But the truth is: the beauty isn’t in the forever. It’s in the time spent, the experiences had, the memories made.

Think about it—when you look back, what actually matters most? It’s not how long someone stayed. It’s how you laughed together until your stomach hurt, the comfort of a hug when you needed it most, the lessons learned in love and in loss. That’s what shapes us. That’s what carries us forward.

And in today’s climate—where uncertainty, change, and pressure seem to meet us at every corner—the sooner we accept this truth, the lighter our spirits become. Instead of clinging, we can appreciate. Instead of grieving what’s gone, we can honor what was. Instead of obsessing over the length of a moment, we can sink into the depth of it.

Life is not about forever. It’s about the flame—the light we create while we’re here. And if that light burns bright, even if it doesn’t last the night, it was still worth it.

So here’s where I’m at: I’m done with forever talk. I want real moments. I want memories I can replay when the room is quiet. I want to live in a way that lets my candle burn beautifully—whether it’s long, short, messy, or imperfect.

Because that’s the real legacy: the glow we leave behind.

Xoxo, Drea❤️