Undone

Like throwing out a favourite sweater, it can be hard to admit when a relationship has run its course.

First, things get a little worn around the edges. You ignore the ratty collar and cuffs, just like you ignore the way you've stopped sharing hobbies.

Then holes start to show. Missed appearances at parties, grumbled complaints about daily inconveniences and the transition from "we" to "I" in conversation start to be noticed by friends, until finally it just can't be shown in public anymore.

As the threads unravel, you may not be quite ready to put it in the toss pile. It's familiar, comfortable and has, in some ways, become part of you. It may not be flattering. It may not even be comfortable anymore. But you still wear it around the house on weekends.

In time, it's relieved of service. You may stow it away in the back of a closet or drawer, seeking comfort in the fact that it is still within grasp, even if you no longer want to wear it.

Finally, you decide you want that closet space for something trendier, more comfortable, more suitable for your life -- something that's more you. With perhaps a twinge of sadness, you finally let it go, and realize that while you were clinging to the idea of that sweater, you're really rather relieved to open up that space in your life again.