(FREE)Letter from the Editor
by Kelsey Wagner | Editor-in-Chief
The following article appeared in the print issue of Ponca City Monthly magazine, which includes hyperlocal stories about Ponca City. Get full access to all online articles, videos, and content by becoming a paid subscriber. We offer free and paid subscription plans. Find rack locations to pick up your free print copy here, or subscribe here to get online access plus exclusive content.
Many people, primarily song writers, talk a lot about either ending relationships, or starting new ones. I would even venture to say that our society is slightly obsessed with those two topics. Go to Instagram and you will be inundated with posts about how people have freed themselves from the bonds of a toxic relationship or how they found their soulmate or a new best friend in a serendipitous way. You know what people don’t write about much? Mending relationships. And I think it deserves being discussed.
All relationships go through hard times, ups and downs. And you can’t always immediately fix issues. Sometimes it takes years to overcome hurt feelings. But you know what? Time does heal old wounds. It should also be said that not all relationships can be mended, some hurts cut too deep to ever be forgotten. And that’s okay! It’s okay to let people go. People come and go in our lives for different reasons. Whether family, friend or long lost love - some heartbreaks are better left in the past.
But mending a broken relationship is a beautiful thing. Even if it’s been years - or even decades since you’ve spoken, don’t lose hope. And there’s no time better to try and mend relationships than during the holidays. Thanksgiving especially is a time to remember all the relationships we have to be grateful for.
It’s important to remember that mended relationships may not be the same as they once were. People change, they learn and they grow. If you are able to rekindle an old relationship, it may feel more like starting something brand new, and that’s okay too.
One of my favorite Disney movies is, “Lilo & Stitch” which features a little only-one-of-its-kind alien who befriends a little girl named Lilo. Lilo lives with her adult sister because her parents died. Both Lilo and Stitch feel very alone in the world, and they both are searching for their place in life. The little girl and the alien find each other, and become like family, and Stitch, the once chaos-obsessed alien lifeform, finally understands that he’s not doomed to be alone forever. He learns that relationships and family are good to be a part of, that he’s worthy of love. He learns that it’s okay if your family isn’t huge. It’s okay if it’s not exactly what you imagined it to be. It’s okay, even if it’s been broken in the past.
Stitch says, “This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good.”
So hug your family and friends tight this Thanksgiving. Be grateful for those who choose to be in your life. And don’t lose hope that those relationships you have lost may yet be mended someday in the future.
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