What the Waters Took

I was walking by the beach when I stumbled on a beautifully built castle.
It was magnificent, so alluring that I could not look away.
Its charm wrapped around my heart, and for a moment, I lived in it.
Then the waters came rushing in.

The torrents were heavy. The push, relentless.
I ran, not because I wanted to, but because the waters screamed too loud to ignore.
I ran for safety, and when the rage had passed and calm returned, I went back to the castle.
But it was gone.
 
Not in ruins. Just gone.
Only a memory remained.
 
How I wished I had held onto that moment,
maybe taken a picture,
maybe stayed just a little longer.
 
I sat, saddened and thoughtful.
Why do the most beautiful things sometimes disappear too soon?
Like a petal that flutters before we can truly behold it.
Why did the sea seem so determined to erase "my beloved castle"?
It felt unfair.
It felt like loss.
 
Wait, did I just call it my beloved castle?
Smiles.
I didn’t build it, but for that brief moment, it was mine.
I longed for it, I lived in it, and when its season ended, it was over.
 
Yes. Over.
 
Our lives are like that.
Moments we wish would stay.
Changes we never asked for.
Wishes that don't quite come true.
 
When those seasons come and go,
it’s okay to feel the pain of life’s fleeting nature.
But don’t miss the flip side:
 
Life is in phases.
And our battles today are levers for the heights of tomorrow.
No experience, however unpleasant, is without value.
Even when it doesn’t taste sweet, we must keep moving.
Because that is what winners do.
 
Nugget: Seasons come, seasons go. The constancy lies in the man.
What is your currency?