Lesson 193. Let off fireworks with people you love.

Two hours and twenty four minutes. That's how long I sung really badly and really loudly last night to Westlife's first two albums. They were my only company on the way home to Tauranga for a couple of days, but they're arguably the best company one could even dream of so I wasn't complaining. I say arguably because after that John Mayer post I wrote I dreamt that he asked me on a date and Westlife have never asked me on a date in my dreams so it's up for debate.

It was Guy Fawkes, and on my drive home I got to experience something kind of incredible. As I drove through the middle of what felt like a thousand nowhere towns, I witnessed more fireworks shooting up into the sky than I'd ever seen before. I, like them, was only passing through. I, like them, only caught a moment of beauty before moving on. It was kind of a lonely moment, and it left me wishing there was someone in the passenger seat. Although it was merely a coincidence that I was alone, it made me realise how important it is to have the ones you love there to reach out to not just in the hard seasons, but in the moments where for a second all you can see is that perfect shot into the sky and the way it seems to light up every messy piece of the world. 

Each time I drove past a fireworks display, I saw silhouettes huddled around the smoke. I didn't hear them but my heart did, and I didn't see their arms but I felt the way they were wrapped around each other. I've learnt so much this year about appreciating people in the times where my life seems too hard to face alone,  but I've given little thought to the importance of having them there in the happy times. Do we forget to love on each other when things are good? Do we only spend time in the arms of the people we love when things are hard? I don't want tears to be the only reason for my shoulder or the shoulders of my friends, I want simple joy to be a reason to embrace one another. 

When life doesn't give you lemons but instead offers a breathtaking display of fireworks, make sure you're arm in arm with your loved ones. Tell people how much you appreciate them in every season, even if you feel like you don't 'need' to. I guarantee you'll want them there on Guy Fawkes, whether metaphorical or the 5th of November.

Let off fireworks with people you love.