The point of celebrating life, then, becomes not just about marking another year with another performative ritual, but about acknowledging the beauty of our impermanence with the people who truly know us and will remember us. I suppose it's fine to do both.

I've learnt, it’s better to be intentional about our relationships; it’s healthier than letting them wither because we weren’t giving them enough attention.

For the first time in a long time, I detached fully from distractions and held space to both give and receive the kind of affection that only presence allows.